B07-B1-Versatile Soft X-ray beamline: High Throughput ES1
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Frances K.
Towers Tompkins
,
Lewis G.
Parker
,
Richard M.
Fogarty
,
Jake M.
Seymour
,
Ekaterina
Gousseva
,
David C.
Grinter
,
Robert G.
Palgrave
,
Christopher D.
Smith
,
Roger A.
Bennett
,
Richard P.
Matthews
,
Kevin R. J.
Lovelock
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[29413, 30367, 31939, 33378, 35207]
Open Access
Abstract: X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ab initio calculations show that fully alkylated onium cation electronic structure can be tuned using both the alkyl chains and the central onium atom. The key for tuning the central onium atom is methyl versus longer alkyl chains, allowing selection of the optimum cation for a wide range of applications, including catalysis and biocides.
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Aug 2024
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I20-Scanning-X-ray spectroscopy (XAS/XES)
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Jake M.
Seymour
,
Ekaterina
Gousseva
,
Frances
Towers Tompkins
,
Lewis G.
Parker
,
Najaat O.
Alblewi
,
Coby J.
Clarke
,
Shusaku
Hayama
,
Robert G.
Palgrave
,
Roger A.
Bennett
,
Richard P.
Matthews
,
Kevin R. J.
Lovelock
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[24305, 28565, 30597]
Open Access
Abstract: Using a combination of liquid-phase experimental X-ray spectroscopy experiments and small-scale calculations we have gained new insights into the speciation of halozincate anions in ionic liquids (ILs). Both core and valence X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were performed directly on the liquid-phase ILs, supplemented by Zn 1s X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out on both 1- and 2- halozincate anions, in both a generalised solvation model SMD (Solvation Model based on Density) and the gas phase, to give XP spectra and total energy differences; time-dependent DFT was used to calculate XA spectra. Speciation judgements were made using a combination of the shape and width of experimental spectra, and visual matches to calculated spectra. For 2- halozincate anions, excellent matches were found between experimental and calculated XP spectra, clearly showing that only 2- halozincate anions were present at all zinc halide mole fraction, x, studied. At specific x (0.33, 0.50, 0.60) only one halozincate anion was present; equilibria of different halozincate anions at those x were not observed. All findings show that chlorozincate anion and bromozincate anion speciation matched at the same x. Based on the results, predictions are made of the halozincate anion speciation for all x up to 0.67. Caution is advised when using differences in calculated total energies obtained from DFT to judge halozincate anion speciation, even when the SMD was employed, as predictions based on total energy differences did not always match the findings from experimental and calculated spectra. Our findings clearly establish that the combination of high-quality experimental data from multiple spectroscopies and a wide range of calculated structures are essential to have high confidence in halozincate anion speciation identification.
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Apr 2024
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Harsh
Bhatia
,
Junjun
Guo
,
Christopher N.
Savory
,
Martyn
Rush
,
David I.
James
,
Avishek
Dey
,
Charles
Chen
,
Dejan-Krešimir
Bučar
,
Tracey M.
Clarke
,
David O.
Scanlon
,
Robert G.
Palgrave
,
Bob C.
Schroeder
Open Access
Abstract: Bismuth-based coordination complexes are advantageous over other metal complexes, as bismuth is the heaviest nontoxic element with high spin–orbit coupling and potential optoelectronics applications. Herein, four bismuth halide-based coordination complexes [Bi2Cl6(phen-thio)2] (1), [Bi2Br6(phen-thio)2] (2), [Bi2I6(phen-thio)2] (3), and [Bi2I6(phen-Me)2] (4) were synthesized, characterized, and subjected to detailed photophysical studies. The complexes were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction, and NMR studies. Spectroscopic analyses of 1–4 in solutions of different polarities were performed to understand the role of the organic and inorganic components in determining the ground- and excited-state properties of the complexes. The photophysical properties of the complexes were characterized by ground-state absorption, steady-state photoluminescence, microsecond time-resolved photoluminescence, and absorption spectroscopy. Periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed on the solid-state structures to understand the role of the organic and inorganic parts of the complexes. The studies showed that changing the ancillary ligand from chlorine (Cl) and bromine (Br) to iodine (I) bathochromically shifts the absorption band along with enhancing the absorption coefficient. Also, changing the halides (Cl, Br to I) affects the photoluminescent quantum yields of the ligand-centered (LC) emissive state without markedly affecting the lifetimes. The combined results confirmed that ground-state properties are strongly influenced by the inorganic part, and the lower-energy excited state is LC. This study paves the way to design novel bismuth coordination complexes for optoelectronic applications by rigorously choosing the ligands and bismuth salt.
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Dec 2023
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Open Access
Abstract: Quantifying the crystallographic phases present at a surface is an important challenge in fields such as functional materials and surface science. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is routinely employed in surface characterization to identify and quantify chemical species through core line analysis. Valence band (VB) spectra contain characteristic but complex features that provide information on the electronic density of states (DoS) and thus can be understood theoretically using density functional theory (DFT). Here, we present a method of fitting experimental photoemission spectra with DFT models for quantitative analysis of heterogeneous systems, specifically mapping the anatase to rutile ratio across the surface of mixed-phase TiO2 thin films. The results were correlated with mapped photocatalytic activity measured using a resazurin-based smart ink. This method allows large-scale functional and surface composition mapping in heterogeneous systems and demonstrates the unique insights gained from DFT-simulated spectra on the electronic structure origins of complex VB spectral features.
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Aug 2023
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I09-Surface and Interface Structural Analysis
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Adam J.
Jackson
,
Benjamin J.
Parrett
,
Joe
Willis
,
Alex M.
Ganose
,
W. W. Winnie
Leung
,
Yuhan
Liu
,
Benjamin A. D.
Williamson
,
Timur K.
Kim
,
Moritz
Hoesch
,
Larissa S. I.
Veiga
,
Raman
Kalra
,
Jens
Neu
,
Charles A.
Schmuttenmaer
,
Tien-Lin
Lee
,
Anna
Regoutz
,
Tung-Chun
Lee
,
Tim D.
Veal
,
Robert G.
Palgrave
,
Robin
Perry
,
David O.
Scanlon
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[24449]
Open Access
Abstract: Transparent conducting oxides have become ubiquitous in modern optoelectronics. However, the number of oxides that are transparent to visible light and have the metallic-like conductivity necessary for applications is limited to a handful of systems that have been known for the past 40 years. In this work, we use hybrid density functional theory and defect chemistry analysis to demonstrate that tri-rutile zinc antimonate, ZnSb2O6, is an ideal transparent conducting oxide and to identify gallium as the optimal dopant to yield high conductivity and transparency. To validate our computational predictions, we have synthesized both powder samples and single crystals of Ga-doped ZnSb2O6 which conclusively show behavior consistent with a degenerate transparent conducting oxide. This study demonstrates the possibility of a family of Sb(V)-containing oxides for transparent conducting oxide and power electronics applications.
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Oct 2022
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I09-Surface and Interface Structural Analysis
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[24248]
Open Access
Abstract: Power semiconductor device architectures require the inclusion of a diffusion barrier to suppress or at best prevent the interdiffusion between the copper metallization interconnects and the surrounding silicon substructure. The binary pseudo-alloy of titanium–tungsten (TiW), with >70 at. % W, is a well-established copper diffusion barrier but is prone to degradation via the out-diffusion of titanium when exposed to high temperatures (≥400 ∘C). Here, the thermal stability of physical vapor deposited TiW/Cu bilayer thin films in Si/SiO2(50 nm)/TiW(300 nm)/Cu(25 nm) stacks were characterized in response to annealing at 400 ∘C for 0.5 h and 5 h, using a combination of soft and hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Results show that annealing promoted the segregation of titanium out of the TiW and interdiffusion into the copper metallization. Titanium was shown to be driven toward the free copper surface, accumulating there and forming a titanium oxide overlayer upon exposure to air. Annealing for longer timescales promoted a greater out-diffusion of titanium and a thicker oxide layer to grow on the copper surface. However, interface measurements suggest that the diffusion is not significant enough to compromise the barrier integrity, and the TiW/Cu interface remains stable even after 5 h of annealing.
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Apr 2022
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B07-C-Versatile Soft X-ray beamline: Ambient Pressure XPS and NEXAFS
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Jake M.
Seymour
,
Ekaterina
Gousseva
,
Alex
Large
,
Georg
Held
,
Dennis
Hein
,
Garlef
Wartner
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Wilson
Quevedo
,
Robert
Seidel
,
Claudia
Kolbeck
,
Coby J.
Clarke
,
Richard M.
Fogarty
,
Richard A.
Bourne
,
Roger A.
Bennett
,
Robert G.
Palgrave
,
Patricia A.
Hunt
,
Kevin R. J.
Lovelock
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[24304, 25929]
Open Access
Abstract: Valence electronic structure is crucial for understanding and predicting reactivity. Valence non-resonant X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NRXPS) provides a direct method for probing the overall valence electronic structure. However, it is often difficult to separate the varying contributions to NRXPS; for example, contributions of solutes in solvents or functional groups in complex molecules. In this work we show that valence resonant X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (RXPS) is a vital tool for obtaining atomic contributions to valence states. We combine RXPS with NRXPS and density functional theory calculations to demonstrate the validity of using RXPS to identify atomic contributions for a range of solutes (both neutral and ionic) and solvents (both molecular solvents and ionic liquids). Furthermore, the one-electron picture of RXPS holds for all of the closed shell molecules/ions studied, although the situation for an open-shell metal complex is more complicated. Factors needed to obtain a strong RXPS signal are investigated in order to predict the types of systems RXPS will work best for; a balance of element electronegativity and bonding type is found to be important. Additionally, the dependence of RXPS spectra on both varying solvation environment and varying local-covalent bonding is probed. We find that RXPS is a promising fingerprint method for identifying species in solution, due to the spectral shape having a strong dependence on local-covalency but a weak dependence on solvation environment.
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Feb 2022
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Chantalle J.
Krajewska
,
Seán R.
Kavanagh
,
Lina
Zhang
,
Dominik J.
Kubicki
,
Krishanu
Dey
,
Krzysztof
Galkowski
,
Clare P.
Grey
,
Samuel D.
Stranks
,
Aron
Walsh
,
David O.
Scanlon
,
Robert G.
Palgrave
Open Access
Abstract: Lead-free halides with perovskite-related structures, such as the vacancy-ordered perovskite Cs3Bi2Br9, are of interest for photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications. We find that addition of SnBr2 to the solution-phase synthesis of Cs3Bi2Br9 leads to substitution of up to 7% of the Bi(III) ions by equal quantities of Sn(II) and Sn(IV). The nature of the substitutional defects was studied by X-ray diffraction, 133Cs and 119Sn solid state NMR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. The resulting mixed-valence compounds show intense visible and near infrared absorption due to intervalence charge transfer, as well as electronic transitions to and from localised Sn-based states within the band gap. Sn(II) and Sn(IV) defects preferentially occupy neighbouring B-cation sites, forming a double-substitution complex. Unusually for a Sn(II) compound, the material shows minimal changes in optical and structural properties after 12 months storage in air. Our calculations suggest the stabilisation of Sn(II) within the double substitution complex contributes to this unusual stability. These results expand upon research on inorganic mixed-valent halides to a new, layered structure, and offer insights into the tuning, doping mechanisms, and structure–property relationships of lead-free vacancy-ordered perovskite structures.
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Nov 2021
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Abstract: Thermoelectric materials offer the possibility of enhanced energy efficiency due to waste heat scavenging. Based on their high-temperature stability and ease of synthesis, efficient oxide-based thermoelectrics remain a tantalizing research goal; however, their current performance is significantly lower than the industry standards such as Bi2Te3 and PbTe. Among the oxide thermoelectrics studied thus far, the development of n-type thermoelectric oxides has fallen behind that of p-type oxides, primarily due to limitations on the overall dimensionless figure of merit, or ZT, by large lattice thermal conductivities. In this article, we propose a simple strategy based on chemical intuition to discover enhanced n-type oxide thermoelectrics. Using state-of-the-art calculations, we demonstrate that the PbSb2O6-structured BaBi2O6 represents a novel structural motif for thermoelectric materials, with a predicted ZT of 0.17–0.19. We then suggest two methods to enhance the ZT up to 0.22, on par with the current best earth-abundant n-type thermoelectric at around 600 K, SrTiO3, which has been much more heavily researched. Our analysis of the factors that govern the electronic and phononic scattering in this system provides a blueprint for optimizing ZT beyond the perfect crystal approximation.
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Sep 2021
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B07-C-Versatile Soft X-ray beamline: Ambient Pressure XPS and NEXAFS
I09-Surface and Interface Structural Analysis
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Jake
Seymour
,
Ekaterina
Gousseva
,
Alex
Large
,
Coby J.
Clarke
,
Peter
Licence
,
Richard M.
Fogarty
,
David A.
Duncan
,
Pilar
Ferrer
,
Federica
Venturini
,
Roger A.
Bennett
,
Robert G.
Palgrave
,
Kevin R. J.
Lovelock
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[20463, 24304, 25929]
Open Access
Abstract: Ionic liquid (IL) valence electronic structure provides key descriptors for understanding and predicting IL properties. The ionisation energies of 60 ILs are measured and the most readily ionised valence state of each IL (the highest occupied molecular orbital, HOMO) is identified using a combination of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and synchrotron resonant XPS. A structurally diverse range of cations and anions were studied. The cation gave rise to the HOMO for nine of the 60 ILs presented here, meaning it is energetically more favourable to remove an electron from the cation than the anion. The influence of the cation on the anion electronic structure (and vice versa) were established; the electrostatic effects are well understood and demonstrated to be consistently predictable. We used this knowledge to make predictions of both ionisation energy and HOMO identity for a further 516 ILs, providing a very valuable dataset for benchmarking electronic structure calculations and enabling the development of models linking experimental valence electronic structure descriptors to other IL properties, e.g. electrochemical stability. Furthermore, we provide design rules for the prediction of the electronic structure of ILs.
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Sep 2021
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