Analyzing the TiO2surface reactivity based on oxygen vacancies computed by DFT and DFTB methods.

Titanium dioxide is a key material in many fields, including technological, industrial and biomedical applications. Many of these applications are related to the surface reactivity of TiO2and involve its reducibility properties. Recently titania has been banned as a food additive due to its (nano)toxicity, and the release of reactive oxygen species plays a crucial role in many toxicological mechanisms. Determining chemical descriptors that account for the extension of reduction is necessary to understand such processes and necessary for predicting the reactivity of an unknown system. In the present work, we compute a set of chemical descriptors for selected surfaces of anatase and rutile TiO2. The aim is twofold: we want to provide chemically meaningful information on the surface reactivity, and benchmark the descriptors for twoab initioschemes. To do so, we compute the oxygen vacancy formation energy, and the corresponding electronic structure, in four slab models with two different computational schemes (DFT+Uand DFTB). In this way, we characterize the robustness of the dataset, with the purpose of scaling up to more realistic model systems such as nanoparticles or explicit solvent, which are too computationally demanding for state-of-the-art density functional theory approaches.

Molecular dynamics simulations of zinc oxide solubility: From bulk down to nanoparticles.

The solubility of metal oxides is one of the key descriptors for the evaluation of their potential toxic effects, both in the bulk form and in nanoparticulated aggregates. Current work presents a new methodology for the in silico assessment of the solubility of metal oxides, which is demonstrated using a well-studied system, ZnO. The calculation of the solubility is based on statistical thermodynamics tools combined with Density Functional Tight Binding theory for the evaluation of the free energy exchange during the dissolution process. Models of small ZnO clusters are used for describing the final dissolved material, since the complete ionic dissolution of ZnO is hindered by the formation of O2- anions in solution, which are highly unstable. Results show very good agreement between the computed solubility values and experimental data for ZnO bulk, up to 0.5 mg L-1 and equivalents of 50 µg L-1 for the free Zn2+ cation in solution. However, the reference model for solid nanoparticles formed by free space nanoparticles can only give a limited quantitative solubility evaluation for ZnO nanoparticles.

Strong premelting effect in the elastic properties of hcp-Fe under inner-core conditions.

The observed shear-wave velocity VS in Earth's core is much lower than expected from mineralogical models derived from both calculations and experiments. A number of explanations have been proposed, but none sufficiently explain the seismological observations. Using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, we obtained the elastic properties of hexagonal close-packed iron (hcp-Fe) at 360 gigapascals up to its melting temperature Tm. We found that Fe shows a strong nonlinear shear weakening just before melting (when T/Tm > 0.96), with a corresponding reduction in VS. Because temperatures range from T/Tm = 1 at the inner-outer core boundary to T/Tm ≈ 0.99 at the center, this strong nonlinear effect on VS should occur in the inner core, providing a compelling explanation for the low VS observed.

Uranyl adsorption on solvated edge surfaces of pyrophyllite: a DFT model study.

In a computational study we addressed the adsorption of uranyl UO(2)(2+) on solvated (110) and (010) edge surfaces of pyrophyllite, applying a density functional approach to periodic slab models. We explored bidentate adsorption complexes on various partially deprotonated adsorption sites: octahedral Al(O,OH), tetrahedral Si(O,OH), and mixed AlO-SiO. Aluminol sites were determined to be most favorable on the (110) surface of pyrophyllite, while on the (010) surface mixed AlO-SiO sites are preferred. The structural parameters of all low-energy complexes on both surfaces agree rather well with EXAFS results for the structurally similar mineral montmorillonite. We calculate the average U-O distance to surface and aqua ligand oxygen atoms to increase with the increasing coordination number of uranyl whereas EXAFS results indicate the opposite trend. According to our results, several adsorption species, with different coordination numbers on different edge faces, may coexist on clay minerals. This computational finding rationalizes why earlier spectroscopic studies indicated the existence of more than one adsorption species, whereas a single type of adsorption complex was suggested from most EXAFS results.

A first principle study of the structural, vibrational and electronic properties of tetrathiafulvalene adsorbed on Ag(110) and Au(110) surfaces.

We have studied the adsorption properties of a charge donor organic molecule, tetrathiafulvalene (TTF), on the (110) surfaces of silver and gold by means of the generalized gradient approach of the density functional theory using periodic slab models. This molecule is the core building block of a host of molecular materials exhibiting extremely reach phase diagrams with a variety of ground states. The interfaces formed with metallic surfaces have received only limited attention, despite of their relevance. We have determined the stable adsorption sites for two unit cells representing high and low coverage, which are determinant for the adsorption properties of TTF on the surface. The preferential chemisorption is via the direct interaction of sulfur atoms with the Ag or Au atoms on top sites. All adsorbed TTF are more stable than gas phase TTF. The simulation of the vibrational spectra has permitted us to find the fingerprints of these structures to characterize them on this surface. The donor nature of TTF induces charge transfer to the metallic surfaces.