Ab initio and force field molecular dynamics study of bulk organophosphorus and organochlorine liquid structures.

We performed ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations to benchmark bulk liquid structures and to evaluate results from all-atom force field molecular dynamics (FFMD) simulations with the generalized Amber force field (GAFF) for organophosphorus (OP) and organochlorine (OC) compounds. Our work also addresses the current and important topic of force field validation, applied here to a set of nonaqueous organic liquids. Our approach differs from standard treatments, which validate force fields based on thermodynamic data. Utilizing radial distribution functions (RDFs), our results show that GAFF reproduces the AIMD-predicted asymmetric liquid structures moderately well for OP compounds that contain bulky alkyl groups. Among the OCs, RDFs obtained from FFMD overlap well with AIMD results, with some offsets in position and peak structuring. However, re-parameterization of GAFF for some OCs is needed to reproduce fully the liquid structures predicted by AIMD. The offsets between AIMD and FFMD peak positions suggest inconsistencies in the developed force fields, but, in general, GAFF is able to capture short-ranged and long-ranged interactions of OPs and OCs observed in AIMD. Along with the local coordination structure, we also compared enthalpies of vaporization. Overall, calculated bulk properties from FFMD compared reasonably well with experimental values, suggesting that small improvements within the FF should focus on parameters that adjust the bulk liquid structures of these compounds.

Combined Spatially Resolved Characterization of Antireflection and Antisoiling Coatings for PV Module Glass.

Characterization of photovoltaic (PV) module materials throughout different stages of service life is crucial to understanding and improving the durability of these materials. Currently the large-scale of PV modules (>1 m2) is imbalanced with the small-scale of most materials characterization tools (≤1 cm2). Furthermore, understanding degradation mechanisms often requires a combination of multiple characterization techniques. Here, we present adaptations of three standard materials characterization techniques to enable mapping characterization over moderate sample areas (≥25 cm2). Contact angle, ellipsometry, and UV-vis spectroscopy are each adapted and demonstrated on two representative samples: a commercial multifunctional coating for PV glass and an oxide combinatorial sample library. Best practices are discussed for adapting characterization techniques for large-area mapping and combining mapping information from multiple techniques.

Electrodeposited Ni(x)Co(3-x)O4 nanostructured films as bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts.

Nanostructured Ni(x)Co(3-x)O4 films serve as effective electrocatalysts for both the oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions in alkaline electrolyte.

Synthesis and structural characterization of a family of modified hafnium tert-butoxide for use as precursors to hafnia nanoparticles.

A series of modified, hafnium tert-butoxide ([Hf(OBu(t))4]) compounds (1-26) were crystallographically characterized, and representative species were then used to produce HfO2nanoparticles. This systematically varied family of [Hf(OR)4] compounds was developed from the reaction of [Hf(OBu(t))4] with a series of (i) Lewis basic solvents, tetrahydrofuran, pyridine, or 1-methylimidazole; (ii) simple phenols, HOC6H4(R)-2 or HOC6H3(R)2-2,6 where R = CH3, CH(CH3)2, or C(CH3)3; and (iii) complex polydentate alcohols, tetrahydrofuran methanol (H-OTHF), pyridinecarbinol (H-OPy), and tris(hydroxymethylethane) (THME-H3). The solvent-modified products were crystallographically characterized as [Hf(OBu(t))4(solv)n] (1-3). The phenoxide (OAr)-exchanged [Hf(OBu(t))4] products isolated from toluene were characterized as dimeric [Hf(OAr)n(OBu(t))4-n]2 (4 and 5) or [Hf(µ-OH)(OAr)3(HOBu(t))]2 (6 and 7) for the less sterically demanding OAr ligands and [Hf(OAr)n(OBu(t))4-n(HOBu(t))] (8 and 9) monomers for the larger OAr ligands. When Lewis basic solvents were employed, solvated monomers of varied OAr substitutions were observed as [Hf(OAr)n(OBu(t))4-n(solv)x], where solv = THF (10, 11, and 13-15) and py (16 and 19-21). The nuclearities of the remaining complex polydentate alcohol derivatives ranged from monomers (24, OPy) to dimers (22, OTHF; 23, OPy) to tetramers (25 and 26, THME). On the basis of their nuclearities, select members of this family of [Hf(OR)4] compounds (monomer, [Hf(OBu(t))4], 8; dimer, 19a, 22; tetramer, 25) were used to determine the validity of using [Hf(OR)4] precursors for the production of hafnia (HfO2) nanoparticles under solvothermal (oleylamine/oleic acid) conditions. After a 650 °C thermal treatment, the resulting powder X-ray diffraction pattern for each powder was found to be consistent with HfO2 (PDF 00-040-1173), and after a 1000 °C treatment, larger particles of HfO2 (PDF 00-043-1017) were reported. Transmission electron microscopy images confirmed that nanomaterials had formed. Because identical processing conditions had been employed for each HfO2 nanomaterial, the morphological variations observed in this study may be attributed to the individual precursors ("precursor structure affect").