Carbon-based substrates are widely used as current collectors for high-performance energy storage materials in supercapacitors. However, these substrates exhibit negligible charge storage due to inferior electrochemical activity and small surface area. Herein, electrochemical activation is utilized to enhance the electrochemical activity of - inherently inactive - commercial graphite sheets for supercapacitive applications. The results reveal that the electrochemically activated graphite sheets render a 30-fold increase in areal capacitance, i.e., from 22 to 447 mF cm(-2), which can be ascribed to the activation of graphite oxide functional groups on the surface. Also, the influence of electrochemical activation time on electrochemical performance is explored in detail, followed by the fabrication and characterization of symmetric supercapacitors based on the optimum process parameters in single-cell and tandem configurations, demonstrating the potential of electrochemically activated graphite sheets in practical applications.

MXenes hold immense potential given their superior electrical properties. The practical adoption of these promising materials is, however, severely constrained by their oxidative susceptibility, leading to significant performance deterioration and lifespan limitations. Attempts to preserve MXenes have been limited, and it has not been possible thus far to reverse the materials performance. In this work, we show that subjecting oxidized micron or nanometer thickness dry MXene films-even those constructed from nanometer-order solution-dispersed oxidized flakes-to just one minute of 10 MHz nanoscale electromechanical vibration leads to considerable removal of its surface oxide layer, whilst preserving its structure and characteristics. Importantly, electrochemical performance is recovered close to that of their original state: the pseudocapacitance, which decreased by almost 50% due to its oxidation, reverses to approximately 98% of its original value, with good capacitance retention ( approximate to 93%) following 10,000 charge-discharge cycles at 10 A g(-1). These promising results allude to the exciting possibility for rejuvenating the material for reuse, therefore offering a more economical and sustainable route that improves its potential for practical translation. Despite their vast potential, the practical deployment of MXenes has been hampered by their tendency to be oxidized. Here, the authors show that simply vibrating MXene films in just a minute can remove the oxide layer formed and restore their electrochemical performance close to its original state.

Herein we report on the synthesis of a metastable (Cr,Y)(2)AlC MAX phase solid solution by co-sputtering from a composite Cr-Al-C and elemental Y target, at room temperature, followed by annealing. However, direct high-temperature synthesis resulted in multiphase films, as evidenced by X-ray diffraction analyses, room-temperature depositions, followed by annealing to 760 degrees C led to the formation of phase pure (Cr,Y)(2)AlC by diffusion. Higher annealing temperatures caused a decomposition of the metastable phase into Cr2AlC, Y5Al3, and Cr-carbides. In contrast to pure Cr2AlC, the Y-containing phase crystallizes directly in the MAX phase structure instead of first forming a disordered solid solution. Furthermore, the crystallization temperature was shown to be Y-content dependent and was increased by similar to 200 degrees C for 5 at.% Y compared to Cr2AlC. Calculations predicting the metastable phase formation of (Cr,Y)(2)AlC and its decomposition are in excellent agreement with the experimental findings.

Nanocars are carbon-based single-molecules with a precise design that facilitates their atomic-scale control on a surface. The rational design of these molecules is important in atomic and molecular-scale manipulation to advance the development of molecular machines, as well as for a better understanding of self-assembly, diffusion and desorption processes. Here, we introduce the molecular design and construction of a collection of minimalistic nanocars. They feature an anthracene chassis and four benzene derivatives as wheels. After sublimation and adsorption on an Au(111) surface, we show controlled and fast manipulation of the nanocars along the surface using the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). The mechanism behind the successful displacement is the induced dipole created over the nanocar by the STM tip. We utilized carbon monoxide functionalized tips both to avoid decomposition and accidentally picking the nanocars up during the manipulation. This strategy allowed thousands of maneuvers to successfully win the Nanocar Race II championship.

Many modern applications, including quantum computing and quantum sensing, use substrate-film interfaces. Particularly, thin films of chromium or titanium and their oxides are commonly used to bind various structures, such as resonators, masks, or microwave antennas, to a diamond surface. Due to different thermal expansions of involved materials, such films and structures could produce significant stresses, which need to be measured or predicted. In this paper, we demonstrate imaging of stresses in the top layer of diamond with deposited structures of Cr2O3 at temperatures 19 & DEG;C and 37 & DEG;C by using stress-sensitive optically detected magnetic resonances (ODMR) in NV centers. We also calculated stresses in the diamond-film interface by using finite-element analysis and correlated them to measured ODMR frequency shifts. As predicted by the simulation, the measured high-contrast frequency-shift patterns are only due to thermal stresses, whose spin-stress coupling constant along the NV axis is 21 & PLUSMN;1 MHz/GPa, that is in agreement with constants previously obtained from single NV centers in diamond cantilever. We demonstrate that NV microscopy is a convenient platform for optically detecting and quantifying spatial distributions of stresses in diamond-based photonic devices with micrometer precision and propose thin films as a means for local application of temperature-controlled stresses. Our results also show that thin-film structures produce significant stresses in diamond substrates, which should be accounted for in NV-based applications.

The modern lifestyle has driven the advent of high-power electronic gadgets to need high-efficiency energy storage devices. Towards that goal, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) mediated polyoxometalates (POMs) based electrode materials are increasingly showing promising performance for building efficient energy storage devices primarily due to their redox properties. In this report, the silicotungstate [K5[SiVW11O40]. nH2O (SiVW11) embedded rGO nanocomposites as electrode materials in supercapacitor applications were synthesized via chemical and hydrothermal methods. The synthesized nanocomposites were characterized by various techniques, such as Fourier-Transform-Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, Powder X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) measurement. The nanocomposites electrochemical properties were examined by adopting a two-electrode setup with cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge/discharge (GCD) in a 0.5 M H2SO4 electrolyte medium. The hydrothermally reduced graphene oxide (HrGO) nanocomposite exhibited a noticeable surge in areal capacitance of 377.4 mF/cm2 at a current density of 1.5 mA/cm2. The resulting composite had 52.4 & mu;Wh/cm2 and 1500 & mu;W/cm2 as energy and power density, respectively at 1.5 mA/cm2 current density. In addition, the capacitance retention is over 81% after 5000 cycles at a current density of 9 mA/ cm2. The highest specific power of 5000 & mu;W/cm2 was obtained at 5 mA/cm2 current density. On the other hand, chemically reduced graphene (CrGO) nanocomposite showed an areal capacitance of 277.2 mF/cm2 at the same current density. As a result, the SiVW11 clusters coupled with the rGO increase the areal capacitance of nanocomposites with exceptional electrical and mechanical stability. From an application standpoint, both composites were employed successfully for running a DC motor in a series cell connection.

The factors controlling the top-down synthesis of MXenes, by selectively removing the A elements from parent MAX phases, is still under debate. In particular, understanding why some MAX phases can be used for creating MXenes, while others cannot, is of immense interest and would greatly support computational screening and identification of new two-dimensional materials that could also be created by chemical exfoliation. Here we computationally study the etching of MAX phases in hydrofluoric acid, considering the complete exfoliation process and competing processes during the initial steps of the synthesis. The results are compared to experiments and MAX phases successfully converted to MXenes, as well as so far unsuccessful attempts, including previously unpublished experimental data, rationalizing why some MAX phases are exfoliable while others are not. Our results provide an improved understanding of the synthesis of MXenes under acid conditions, anticipated to be vital for our ability to discover novel two-dimensional materials.

Two-dimensional metal carbides and nitrides-MXenes-represent a group of materials which have attained growing attention over the last decade due to their chemical versatility, making them highly promising in areas such as energy storage, superconductivity, and heterogenous catalysis. Surface terminations are a natural consequence of the MXene synthesis, conventionally consisting of O, OH, and F. However, recent studies have extended the chemical domain of the surface terminations to other elements, and they should be considered as an additional parameter governing the MXene properties. There is a shortfall in the understanding of how various chemical species could act as terminations on different MXenes. In particular, there is limited comprehension in which chemical environments different terminations are stable. Here, we present an extensive theoretical study of the surface terminations of MXenes in different atmospheres by considering in total six experimentally achieved MXenes (Ti2C, Nb2C, V2C, Mo2C, Ti3C2, and Nb4C3) and twelve surface terminations (O, OH, N, NH, NH2, S, SH, H, F, Cl, Br, and I). We consider fully terminated (single termination) MXenes and also the impact of substituting individual terminations. Our study provides insights into what terminations are stable on which MXenes in different chemical environments, with predictions of how to obtain single-termination MXenes and which MXenes are resilient under ambient conditions. In addition, we propose synthesis protocols of MXenes which have not yet been realized in experiments. It is anticipated that alongside the development of new synthesis routes, our study will provide design rules for how to tailor the surface terminations of MXenes.

Dehydrogenation reactions are key steps in many metal-catalyzed chemical processes and in the on-surface synthesis of atomically precise nanomaterials. The principal role of the metal substrate in these reactions is undisputed, but the role of metal adatoms remains, to a large extent, unanswered, particularly on gold substrates. Here, we discuss their importance by studying the surface-assisted cyclodehydrogenation on Au(111) as an ideal model case. We choose a polymer theoretically predicted to give one of two cyclization products depending on the presence or absence of gold adatoms. Scanning probe microscopy experiments observe only the product associated with adatoms. We challenge the prevalent understanding of surface-assisted cyclodehydrogenation, unveiling the catalytic role of adatoms and their effect on regioselectivity. The study adds new perspectives to the understanding of metal catalysis and the design of on-surface synthesis protocols for novel carbon nanomaterials.

Aromaticity is an established and widely used concept for the prediction of the reactivity of organic molecules. However, its role remains largely unexplored in on-surface chemistry, where the interaction with the substrate can alter the electronic and geometric structure of the adsorbates. Here we investigate how aromaticity affects the reactivity of alkyne-substituted porphyrin molecules in cyclization and coupling reactions on a Au(111) surface. We examine and quantify the regioselectivity in the reactions by scanning tunnelling microscopy and bond-resolved atomic force microscopy at the single-molecule level. Our experiments show a substantially lower reactivity of carbon atoms that are stabilized by the aromatic diaza[18]annulene pathway of free-base porphyrins. The results are corroborated by density functional theory calculations, which show a direct correlation between aromaticity and thermodynamic stability of the reaction products. These insights are helpful to understand, and in turn design, reactions with aromatic species in on-surface chemistry and heterogeneous catalysis. While aromaticity is a useful concept for assessing the reactivity of organic compounds, the connection between aromaticity and on-surface chemistry remains largely unexplored. Now, scanning probe experiments on cyclization reactions of porphyrins on Au(111) show that the peripheral carbon atoms outside of the aromatic 18-& pi; electron pathway exhibit a higher reactivity.

Belonging to the enyne family, enetriynes comprise a distinct electron-rich all-carbon bonding scheme. However, the lack of convenient synthesis protocols limits the associated application potential within, e.g., biochemistry and materials science. Herein we introduce a pathway for highly selective enetriyne formation via tetramerization of terminal alkynes on a Ag(100) surface. Taking advantage of a directing hydroxyl group, we steer molecular assembly and reaction processes on square lattices. Induced by O-2 exposure the terminal alkyne moieties deprotonate and organometallic bis-acetylide dimer arrays evolve. Upon subsequent thermal annealing tetrameric enetriyne-bridged compounds are generated in high yield, readily self-assembling into regular networks. We combine high-resolution scanning probe microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations to examine the structural features, bonding characteristics and the underlying reaction mechanism. Our study introduces an integrated strategy for the precise fabrication of functional enetriyne species, thus providing access to a distinct class of highly conjugated pi-system compounds. Enetriynes, which belong to the enyne family, are characterized by a distinct electron-rich carbon-bonding scheme. Here, the authors report the formation of enetriynes with high selectivity by tetramerization of terminal alkynes on Ag(100).

The synthesis procedure of any materials system is often considered a challenging task if performed without any prior knowledge. Theoretical models may thus be used as an external input and guide experimental efforts toward novel exotic materials which are most likely to be synthesizable. The aim of this work is to apply theoretical models and develop frameworks for reliable predictions of thermodynamically stable materials. The material in focus herein is the family of atomic layered boride-based materials referred to as MAB phases.

The ground state energy of a material system may be obtained by applying firstprincipal calculations, such as density functional theory (DFT), which has thoroughly been used throughout this thesis. However, performing modern state-of-the-art quantum mechanical calculations, in general, relies on a pre-defined crystal structure which may be constructed based on an a priori known structure or obtained through the use of crystal structure prediction models. In this work, both approaches are explored. We herein perform a thermodynamical screening study to predict novel stable ternary boron-based materials by considering M₂AB₂, M₃AB₄, M₄AB₆, MAB and M₄AB₄ compositions in orthorhombic and hexagonal symmetries with inspiration from experimentally synthesized MAB phases. The considered atomic elements are M = Sc, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Fe, Co, A = Al, Ga, In, and B is boron. Among the considered compounds, seven experimentally synthesized phases are verified as stable, and we predict the three hypothetical phases to be stable - Hf₂InB₂, Zr₂InB₂, and Mo₄AlB₄. Additionally, 23 phases of varying symmetries and compositions are predicted as close to stable or to be metastable.

However, the assumption of assigning initial crystal structures based on neighbouring compounds may drastically limit the outcome of a screening study. State-of-the-art techniques to generate low energy crystal structures within the considered material phase space is thus explored. More specifically, the Mo-Sc-Al-B system is studied along the ternary joints of (Mo_xSc_1-x)₂AlB₂ where 0 < x < 1 by using the cluster expansion (CE) and the crystal structure prediction (CSP) codes, CLEASE and USPEX, in analogy. Previous attempts to study the Mo-Sc-Al-B system has been limited by only considering either hexagonal or orthorhombic symmetries. We challenge such approaches by covering larger portions of the phase space efficiently by combining CSP and CE frameworks. The Mo_4/3Sc_2/3AlB₂ (R ̅3m) phase, previously referred to as i-MAB, is verified stable in addition to Mo_2/3Sc_4/3AlB₂ (R3).

The suggested approach of combining CE and CSP frameworks for investigating multi-component systems consists of initially performing CSP searches on the systems of smaller order constituting the system in focus. In the pseudo-ternary (Mo_xSc_1-x)₂AlB₂ system, this refers to performing CSP searches on the ternary Mo₂AlB₂ and Sc₂AlB₂ systems. In addition, we also consider the structures of experimentally known phases with similar compositions. The complete set of structures obtained either from CSP or public databases, was later used to design CE models where mixing tendencies in addition to stability determined which model to further study. The predicted low-energy structures of the CE model were relaxed and used as seed structures within a complete CSP search covering the (Mo_xSc_1-x)₂AlB₂ system for 0 < x < 1. We demonstrate that the use of seed structures, obtained from CE models, efficiently improved the search for low-energy structures within a multi-component system. The suggested approach is yet to be tested on any other system but is applicable to any alternative multi-component system.

A desired prerequisite when performing a quantum mechanical calculation is to have an initial idea of the atomic positions within an approximate crystal structure. The atomic positions combined should result in a system located in, or close to, an energy minimum. However, designing low-energy structures may be a challenging task when prior knowledge is scarce, specifically for large multi-component systems where the degrees of freedom are close to infinite. In this paper, we propose a method for identification of low-energy crystal structures within multi-component systems by combining cluster expansion and crystal structure predictions with density-functional theory calculations. Crystal structure prediction searches are applied to the Mo2AlB2 and Sc2AlB2 ternary systems to identify candidate structures, which are subsequently used to explore the quaternary (pseudo-binary) (MoxSc1-x)(2)AlB2 system through the cluster expansion formalism utilizing the ground-state search approach. Furthermore, we show that utilizing low-energy structures found within the cluster expansion ground-state search as seed structures within crystal structure predictions of (MoxSc1-x)(2)AlB2 can significantly reduce the computational demands. With this combined approach, we not only correctly identified the recently discovered Mo(4/3)Sc(2/3)AlB(2)i-MAB phase, comprised of in-plane chemical ordering of Mo and Sc and with Al in a Kagome lattice, but also predict additional low-energy structures at various concentrations. This result demonstrates that combining crystal structure prediction with cluster expansion provides a path for identifying low-energy crystal structures in multi-component systems by employing the strengths from both frameworks.

In the quest for finding novel thermodynamically stable, layered, MAB phases promising for synthesis, we herein explore the phase stability of ternary MAB phases by considering both orthorhombic and hexagonal crystal symmetries for various compositions (MAB, M₂AB₂, M₃AB₄, M₄AB₄, and M₄AB₆ where M = Sc, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Fe, and Co, A = Al, Ga, and In, and B is boron). The thermodynamic stability of seven previously synthesized MAB phases is confirmed, three additional phases are predicted to be stable, and 23 phases are found to be close to stable. Furthermore, the crystal symmetry preference for forming orthorhombic or hexagonal crystal structures is investigated where the considered Al-based MAB phases tend to favour orthorhombic structures whereas Ga- and In-based phases in general prefer hexagonal structures. The theoretically predicted stable MAB phases along with the structural preference is intended to both guide experimental efforts and to give an insight into the stability for different crystal symmetries of MAB phases.

Inspired by the recent discovery of Ti4MoSiB2, a quaternary phase with out-of-plane chemical order that we denote as o-MAB, we perform an extensive first-principles study to explore the attained chemical order and disorder (solid-solution) upon metal alloying of M(5)AB(2) (T2 phases), with M from Groups 3 to 9 and A = Al, Si, P, Ga, and Ge. We show that the attainable chemistries of T2 can be significantly expanded and predict 35 chemically ordered o-MAB phases and 121 solid solutions of an MM-4 AB(2) stoichiometry. The possibility of realizing o-MAB or solid solution MAB phases combined with multiple elemental combinations previously not observed in these borides suggests an increased property tuning potential. Furthermore, five ternary T2 phases, yet to be synthesized, are also predicted to be stable.

In this study, we have used density functional theory (DFT) calculations to characterize if and how defects influence the stability and electronic/mechanical properties of MB2 (AlB2-type) for different transition metal M. From a point defect analysis including vacancies, interstitials, and anti-sites, we identify vacancies to be most favored, or least unfavored. To provide insight into possible vacancy ordering, we focus on vacancies on M- and B-sublattices for nine metals (M = Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W), modelled both as disordered and ordered. We demonstrate and explain why vacancies have a significant impact for M from Group 4 (Ti, Zr, Hf), Group 5 (Nb, Ta) and 6 (Mo, W) with improved thermodynamical and dynamical stability as well as mechanical properties. This by diverging from the ideal composition through controlled off-stoichiometry in terms of vacancies in M- or B-deficient structures. Line compounds TiB2, ZrB2 and HfB2 account for B-poor or M-rich conditions by forming planar defects comprised of vacant B. This in contrast to the ordered M- and B vacancies identified for MoB2 and WB2, with an optimal result at 33.33% M- and 25% B-vacancies, respectively, which significantly improves the stability and concurrent properties through elimination of antibonding states and minimization of non-bonding states. Similar behavior with enhanced stability and properties is demonstrated for NbB2 and TaB2 with an optimum around 10% M- and 17% B-vacancies, respectively.

MAX phases (M = metal, A = A-group element, X = C and/or N) are layered materials, combining metallic and ceramic attributes. They are also parent materials for the two-dimensional (2D) derivative, MXene, realized from selective etching of the A-element. In this work, we present a historical survey of MAX phase alloying to date along with an extensive theoretical investigation of MAX phase alloys (M = Sc, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni, A = Al, Ga, In, Si, Ge, Sn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pd, Ag, Pt, and Au, and X = C). We assess both in-plane chemical ordering (in the so-called i-MAX phases) and solid solution. Out of the 2702 compositions, 92 i-MAX and 291 solid solution MAX phases are predicted to be thermodynamically stable. A majority of these have not yet been experimentally reported. In general, i-MAX is favored for a smaller size of A and a large difference in metal size, while solid solution is favored for a larger size of A and with comparable size of the metals. The results thus demonstrate avenues for a prospective and substantial expansion of the MAX phase and MXene chemistries.

MAX/MAB phases are a series of non-van der Waals ternary layered ceramic materials with a hexagonal structure, rich in elemental composition and crystal structure, and embody physical properties of both ceramics and metals. They exhibit great potential for applications in extreme environments such as high temperature, strong corrosion, and irradiation. In recent years, two-dimensional (2D) materials derived from the MAX/MAB phase (MXene and MBene) have attracted enormous interest in the fields of materials physics and materials chemistry and become a new 2D van der Waals material after graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides. Therefore, structural modulation of MAX/MAB phase materials is essential for understanding the intrinsic properties of this broad class of layered ceramics and for investigating the functional properties of their derived structures. In this paper, we summarize new developments in MAX/MAB phases in recent years in terms of structural modulation, theoretical calculation, and fundamental application research and provide an outlook on the key challenges and prospects for the future development of these layered materials.

MXenes are two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides typically synthesized from layered MAX-phase precursors. With over 50 experimentally reported MXenes and a near-infinite number of possible chemistries, MXenes make up the fastest-growing family of 2D materials. They offer a wide range of properties, which can be altered by their chemistry (M, X) and the number of metal layers in the structure, ranging from two in M2XTx to five in M5X4T x . Only one M5X4 MXene, Mo4VC4, has been reported. Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of two M(5)AX(4) mixed transition metal MAX phases, Ti2.5Ta2.5AlC4 and Ti2.675Nb2.325AlC4, and their successful topochemical transformation into Ti2.5Ta2.5C4T x and Ti2.675Nb2.325C4Tx MXenes. The resulting MXenes were delaminated into single-layer flakes, analyzed structurally, and characterized for their thermal and optical properties. This establishes a family of M(5)AX(4) MAX phases and their corresponding MXenes. These materials were experimentally produced based on guidance from theoretical predictions, leading to more exciting applications for MXenes.

MXenes have been introduced as a high energy and power density electrochemical supercapacitor material owing to their high specific capacitance and electrochemical stability. The operating potential window and, in turn, energy density of MXene based symmetric and asymmetric supercapacitors can be effectively enhanced by the proper choice of aqueous electrolyte. Herein, we investigate the electrochemical behavior of vacancy-containing 𝑖-MXene (Mo_1.33CT_z) in sulfate based aqueous electrolytes with univalent (Li⁺, Na⁺, or K⁺) or divalent (Mg²⁺, Mn²⁺, or Zn²⁺) cations. The results show that the Mo_1.33CT_z MXene electrodes can be operated in a potential window higher than 1 V without degradation in these sulfate electrolytes. The Mo_1.33CT_z MXene electrodes deliver a high volumetric capacitance up to ~677 F cm^-3 as measured in 1.0 M MnSO₄ solution. Furthermore, symmetric (Mo_1.33CT_z//Mo_1.33CT_z) and asymmetric (Mo_1.33CT_z//nitrogen-doped activated carbon (NAC)) devices in 0.5 M K₂SO₄ solution can be operated with a cell voltage of about 1.1 V and 1.8 V, respectively. The asymmetric devices retain about 97% of their initial capacitance after 5000 charge/discharge cycles. Overall, the results reveal that the choice of the intercalating cations is a viable route to boost the performance of Mo_1.33CT_z MXene and to construct energy storage devices.

Out-of-plane chemically ordered transitionmetal boride(o-MAB) phases, Ta4M & DPRIME;SiB2 (M & DPRIME; = V, Cr), and a structurally equivalent disordered solidsolution MAB phase, Ta4MoSiB2, are synthesized.DFT calculations are used to examine the dynamic stability, elasticproperties, and electronic density states of the MAB phases. We report on the synthesis of computationally predictedout-of-planechemically ordered transition metal borides labeled o-MAB phases, Ta4M & DPRIME;SiB2 (M & DPRIME; =V, Cr), and a structurally equivalent disordered solid solution MABphase Ta4MoSiB2. The boride phases were preparedusing solid-state reaction sintering of the constituting elements.High-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy along withRietveld refinement of the powder-X-ray diffraction patterns revealedthat the synthesized o-MAB phases Ta4CrSiB2 (98 wt % purity) and Ta4VSiB2 (81 wt% purity) possess chemical ordering with Ta preferentially residingin the 16l position and Cr and V in the 4c position, whereas Ta4MoSiB2 (46wt % purity) was concluded to form a disordered solid solution. Densityfunctional theory (DFT) calculations were used to investigate thedynamic stability, elastic properties, and electronic density statesfor the MAB phases, confirming the stability and suggesting the boridesbased on Cr and Mo to be stiffer than those based on V and Nb.

Energy storage devices such as rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors are of great importance for establishing clean energy sources. Accordingly, the production of these devices needs to rely on sustainable and environmentally friendly materials. This report provides an insight on the use of two-dimensional transition metal carbides (MXene) based electrodes, here shown for Mo(1.33)CTz-Ti3C2Tz mixed MXene, in Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZHSC) using aqueous and nonaqueous (acetonitrile-based) electrolytes. The effect of anion carriers on the accessible capacity, rate capability, and life span of the MXene//Zn hybrid supercapacitor is explored in-depth. Halide carriers such as chloride (Cl-) and iodide (I-) feature a superior performance, however, a fast passivation is observed in Cl- based electrolytes and a narrow potential window is achieved in I based electrolytes. Importantly, a few micron layer of Ti3C2Tz MXene coated on the surface of the Zn anode is found to inhibit the side reactions and passivation observed in ZnCl2 solutions, which enables the use of such low-cost Zn salt in MXene//Ti3C2Tz -coated-Zn cells. The cells can be reversibly cycled over 10,000 cycles, delivering a capacity up to 200 mAh g(-1 )at low rate (0.5 mV s(-1)) and a capacity retention of about 36% at high rate (100 mV s(-1)). Furthermore, the Ti3C2Tz surface coating layer enhanced the coulombic efficiency in Zn (CF3SO3)(2) electrolyte without affecting the accessible capacity or the rate capability. This work sheds light on the use of MXenes in sustainable low-cost ZHSC with high energy density and power density as a positive electrode material as well as a surface coating material for the Zn negative electrode.

High-entropy (HE) MXenes are a new emerging class of materials with unique properties, diverse compositions, and potential uses in energy storage devices. Herein, high-entropy MXene, Ti1.1V0.7CrxNb1.0Ta0.6C3Tz (Tz = -F, -O, -OH), freestanding films are prepared and tested as electrodes for Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZHSC), delivering a capacity up to 77 mAh g-1 (245 mAh cm-3) at 0.5 A g-1 with a capacity retention of 87% after 10,000 cycles. This promising performance in ZHSC is achieved when using Zn(CF3SO3)2 or low-cost ZnCl2 solutions. Furthermore, HE MXene films can be used as a negative electrode for Li-ion batteries with a capacity up to 126 mAh g-1 (400 mAh cm-3) at 0.01 A g-1. This report sheds light on the use of a new class of MXene films for various charge storage applications.

In this study, Fe-Mn co-doped ceria Fe0.25Mn0.00Ce0.75O2-delta (FMDC1), Fe_0.23Mn_0.02Ce_0.75O_2-δ (FMDC2), Fe_0.21Mn_0.04Ce_0.75O_2-δ  (FMDC3), and Fe_0.19Mn_0.06Ce_0.75O_2-δ  (FMDC4) powders are synthesized by sol gel method and evaluated as cathode materials for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell (IT-SOFC). The combination of Fe and Mn significantly enhanced the ceria catalytic activity and oxygen kinetics for redox-based reactions. The effects of the co-doping mechanism on the phase composition, optical behavior, and electrochemical performance are mainly investigated. The prepared samples are characterized by XRD, SEM, FTIR, UV-vis, and conductivity tests. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed well-developed crystallinity with a single phase cubic structure of synthesized cathode material. SEM depicted the highly porous facet for Fe_0.19Mn_0.06Ce_0.75O_2-δ  (FMDC4) resulted in the large triple-phase boundaries for the reduction of ambient air. The inclusion of Mn³⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions into CeO₂ network created additional oxygen vacancies (O_v) and simultaneously reduced the optical band gap energy from 2.81 eV for FMDC1 (x = 0.00) to 2.54 eV for FMDC4 (x = 0.06). Among the four samples, FMDC4 possessed the highest electrical conductivity (∼0.89 Scm^-1) at 650 degrees C and corresponding low activation energy of similar to 0.301 eV, which lead to good catalytic activity with an enhanced electrochemical performance of the SOFC system. The open-circuit voltage (OCV) attained the value of   ∼0.98 V, maximum power density of ∼335 mW cm^-2 is obtained at 550 degrees C, which is comparable to previously reported electrodes. The results suggested that the combination of Fe and Mn into ceria can be used as an effective catalytic promoter for oxygen reduction reactions (ORR), and the composition of FMDC4 resulted in the peak conductivity, short term stability and highest power density as compared to other synthesized samples. (C) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Structural characterization in on-surface synthesis is primarily carried out by Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) which provides high lateral resolution. Yet, important fresh perspectives on surface interactions and molecular conformations are gained from adsorption heights that remain largely inaccessible to SPM, but can be precisely measured with both elemental and chemical sensitivity by Normal-Incidence X-ray Standing Wave (NIXSW) analysis. Here, we study the evolution of adsorption heights in the on-surface synthesis and post-synthetic decoupling of porous covalent triazine-phenylene networks obtained from 2,4,6-tris(4-bromophenyl)-1,3,5-triazine (TBPT) precursors on Ag(111). Room temperature deposition of TBPT and mild annealing to ~150 C result in full debromination and formation of organometallic intermediates, where the monomers are linked into reticulated networks by C-Ag-C bonds. Topologically identical covalent networks comprised of triazine vertices that are interconnected by biphenyl units are obtained by a thermally activated chemical transformation of the organometallic intermediates. Exposure to iodine vapor facilitates decoupling by intercalation of an iodine monolayer between the covalent networks and the Ag(111) surface. Accordingly, Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and NIXSW experiments are carried out for three successive sample stages: organometallic intermediates, covalent networks directly on Ag(111) and after decoupling. NIXSW analysis facilitates the determination of adsorption heights of chemically distinct carbon species, i.e. in the phenyl and triazine rings, and also for the organometallic carbon atoms. Thereby, molecular conformations are assessed for each sample stage. The interpretation of experimental results is informed by Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, providing a consistent picture of adsorption heights and molecular deformations in the networks that result from the interplay between steric hindrance and surface interactions. Quantitative adsorption heights, i.e. vertical distances between adsorbates and surface, provide detailed insight into surface interactions, but are underexplored in on-surface synthesis. In particular, the direct comparison with an in situ prepared decoupled state unveils the surface influence on the network structure, and shows that iodine intercalation is a powerful decoupling strategy.

Self-assembly of three-dimensional molecules is scarcely studied on surfaces. Their modes of adsorption can exhibit far greater variability compared to (nearly) planar molecules that adsorb mostly flat on surfaces. This additional degree of freedom can have decisive consequences for the expression of intermolecular binding motifs, hence the formation of supramolecular structures. The determining molecule-surface interactions can be widely tuned, thereby providing a new powerful lever for crystal engineering in two dimensions. Here, we study the self-assembly of triptycene derivatives with anthracene blades on Au(111) by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy, Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure and Density Functional Theory. The impact of molecule-surface interactions was experimentally tested by comparing pristine with iodine-passivated Au(111) surfaces. Thereby, we observed a fundamental change of the adsorption mode that triggered self-assembly of an entirely different structure.

We report the synthesis of three out-of-plane chemically ordered quaternary transition metal borides (o-MAB phases) of the chemical formula M4CrSiB2 (M = Mo, W, Nb). The addition of these phases to the recently discovered o-MAB phase Ti4MoSiB2 shows that this is indeed a new family of chemically ordered atomic laminates. Furthermore, our results expand the attainable chemistry of the traditional M5SiB2 MAB phases to also include Cr. The crystal structure and chemical ordering of the produced materials were investigated using high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction by applying Rietveld refinement. Additionally, calculations based on density functional theory were performed to investigate the Cr preference for occupying the minority 4c Wyckoff site, thereby inducing chemical order.

Achieving C(sp(3))-H activation at a mild temperature is of great importance from both scientific and technologic points of view. Herein, on the basis of the on-surface synthesis strategy, we report the significant reduction of the C(sp(3))-H activation barrier, which results in the full C(sp(3))-H to C(sp(2))-H transformation of n-alkanol (octacosan-1-ol) at a mild temperature as low as 350 K on the Cu(110) surface, yielding the conjugated polyenal (octacosa-tridecaenal) as the final product. The reaction mechanism is revealed by the combined scanning tunneling microscope, density functional theory, and synchrotron radiation photoemission spectroscopy.

Direct coupling or transformation of inert alkanes based on the selective C-H activation is of great importance for both chemistry and chemical engineering. Here, we report the coupling of polyenes that are transformed from n-dotriacontane (n-C32H66) through on-surface cascade dehydrogenation on Cu (110) surface, leading to the formation of polyacetylene (PA). Three distinct linkages have been resolved by scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and noncontact atomic force microscope (nc-AFM). Apart from the alpha-type linkage which is the stemless coupling of the terminal C-C double bond in trans-configuration, beta- and gamma-type linkages appear as knots or defects which are, in fact, the C-C couplings in cis-configurations. Interestingly, the "defects" can be effectively suppressed by adjusting the surface coverage, thus making it of general interest for uniform structure modulation.

Titanium boride, TiBx, thin films were grown by direct current magnetron co-sputtering from a compound TiB2 target and a Ti target at an Ar pressure of 2.2 mTorr (0.3 Pa) and substrate temperature of 450 ?degrees C. While keeping the power of the TiB2 target constant at 250 W, and by varying the power on the Ti target, P-Ti, between 0 and 100 W, the B/Ti ratio in the film could be continuously and controllably varied from 1.2 to 2.8, with close-tostoichiometric diboride films achieved for P-Ti = 50 W. This was done without altering the deposition pressure, which is otherwise the main modulator for the composition of magnetron sputtered TiBx diboride thin films. The film structure and properties of the as-deposited films were compared to those after vacuum-annealing for 2 h at 1100 ?degrees C. As-deposited films consisted of small (?50 nm) randomly oriented TiB2 crystallites, interspersed in an amorphous, sometimes porous tissue phase. Upon annealing, some of the tissue phase crystallized, but the diboride average grain size did not change noticeably. The near-stoichiometric film had the lowest resistivity, 122 mu omega cm, after annealing. Although this film had growth-induced porosity, an interconnected network of elongated crystallites provides a path for conduction. All films exhibited high hardness, in the 25-30 GPa range, where the highest value of similar to 32 GPa was obtained for the most Ti-rich film after annealing. This film had the highest density and was nano-crystalline, where dislocation propagation is interrupted by the off-stoichiometric grain boundaries.

Daily life in modern society is highly dependent on many different materials and techniques for manipulating them, and the technological forefront is constantly pushed further by new discoveries. Hence, materials science is a very important field of research. The field of 2D materials is a rather young subfield within materials science, sprung from the realisation of the first 2D material graphene. 2D materials have, due to their 2D morphology, a very high surface-to-weight ratio, which makes them clearly attractive for applications where the material surface is an important characteristic, such as for energy storage and catalysis.

The family of 2D materials called MXenes contrast to other 2D materials through the methods used to synthesise them. Traditionally, 2D materials are mechanically exfoliated from a 3D bulk structure in which the 2D sheets are only kept together by weak van der Waals forces, while MXenes are instead chemically exfoliated by selectively etching the A element from a member of the MAX phase family. A MAX phase is a hexagonal nanolaminated crystal structure on the formula M_n+1AX_n, with n = 1 – 4, where the M indicates one or several transition metals, A stands for an "A element", commonly a metalloid, and X stands for C or N. After etching away the A element from the MAX phase the M_n+1X_n-layers are left, making up the MXene. MXenes thus show an unusual structural and chemical diversity, and the composition spectra is even further expanded by atoms and small molecules, called surface terminations, attaching to the MXene surface upon etching. These terminations in turn also influence the properties of the MXene. Hence, the MXene family shows great potential for property tailoring towards many different applications.

Besides MAX phases there are many other nanolaminated materials which can not be mechanically exfoliated like graphene, and the natural question arises: can other nanolaminated materials be etched into completely new 2D materials? This thesis is concerned with the so called MAB phases – a family of laminated materials similar to MAX phases, but with B instead of C or N – and their 2D derivatives from a computational perspective. More specifically, paper I concerns the quaternary out-of-plane-ordered MAB (o-MAB) phase Ti₄MoSiB₂ – which has been etched into a 2D titanium oxide – and its related ternary counterparts Mo₅SiB₂ and Ti₅SiB₂. In paper II the properties and possible termination configurations of a 2D MXene-analogue named boridene is studied.

Both projects concern novel materials that have recently been experimentally realised, and the main aim of the first principles calculations presented here has been to complement and explain the experimental results. In paper I bonding characteristics of Ti₄MoSiB₂, Mo₅SiB₂ and Ti₅SiB₂ are studied, with the goal of better understanding why the two former are experimentally realisable while the latter has never been reported. In Ti₄MoSiB₂ Ti and Mo populate two symmetrically inequivalent lattice sites, and the bond between these two sites was found to display a large peak of bonding states just below the Fermi level. This peak is fully populated in Ti₄MoSiB₂ and Mo₅SiB₂, but only partially populated in Ti₅SiB₂, which was identified to be the key difference causing Ti₅SiB₂ to be unstable.

Paper II instead focuses on the 2D material boridene, derived from a 3D MAB phase with in-plane ordering (i-MAB). The i-MAB phase is similar in structure to i-MAX phases, and the boridene show similar structure and properties as the corresponding i-MXene etched from i-MAX, including a high activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The boridene surface was experimentally found to be terminated by O, F and OH species, and the first principles investigations were aimed at screening the possible termination compositions using dynamical stability analysis, and how the electronic properties of boridene are influenced by the terminations. It was found that the terminations are critical to the dynamical stability of boridene, while the specific composition is less important. For termination with only a single species, the material was predicted to be a small bandgap semiconductor with varying bandgap for different species, while for termination with mixed species, the material was found to be metallic.

Hence, this thesis has slightly expanded the theoretical knowledge of MAB phases and their first 2D derivative, boridene, by detailed first principles characterisation. Hopefully, these studies can contribute in further development of the considered and related materials, and bring meaningful insight into the behaviour and properties of MAB phases and their 2D derivatives.

Recently, a 2D metal boride - boridene - has been experimentally realized in the form of single-layer molybdenum boride sheets with ordered metal vacancies, through selective etching of the nanolaminated 3D parent borides (Mo_2/3Y_1/3)₂AlB₂ and (Mo_2/3Sc_1/3)₂AlB₂. The chemical formula of the boridene was suggested to be Mo_4/3B_2-xT_z, where T_z denotes surface terminations. Here, the termination composition and material properties of Mo_4/3B_2-xT_z from both theoretical and experimental perspectives are investigated. Termination sites are considered theoretically for termination species T = O, OH, and F, and the energetically favored termination configuration is identified at z = 2 for both single species terminations and binary termination mixes of different stoichiometries in ordered and disordered configurations. Mo_4/3B_2-xT_z is shown to be dynamically stable for multiple termination stoichiometries, displaying semiconducting, semimetallic, or metallic behavior depending on how different terminations are combined. The approximate chemical formula of a freestanding film of boridene is attained as Mo_1.33B_1.9O_0.3(OH)_1.5F_0.7 from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis which, within error margins, is consistent with the theoretical results. Finally, metallic and additive-free Mo_4/3B_2-xT_z shows high catalytic performance for the hydrogen evolution reaction, with an onset potential of 0.15 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode.

The laminated ternary boride Mo5SiB2 of T2 structure have two symmetrically inequivalent metallic sites, 16l and 4c, being occupied in a 4:1 ratio. The phase was recently shown to be stable for 80% substitution of Mo for Ti, at the majority site, forming an out-of-plane chemically ordered quaternary boride: Ti4MoSiB2. Considering that the hypothetical Ti5SiB2 is theoretically predicted as not stable, a key difference in bonding characteristics is indicated for full substitution of Mo for Ti at the metallic sites. To explore the origin of formation of Ti4MoSiB2, we here investigate the electronic properties and bonding characteristics of Mo5SiB2, Ti4MoSiB2 and Ti5SiB2 through their density of states, projected crystal orbital Hamilton population (pCOHP), Bader charge partitioning and second order force constants. The bond between the two different metallic sites is found to be key to the stability of the compounds, evident from the pCOHP of this bond showing a peak of bonding states close to the Fermi level, which is completely filled in Mo5SiB2 and Ti4MoSiB2, while only partially filled in Ti5SiB2. Furthermore, the lower electronegativity of Ti compared to Mo results in charge accumulation at the Si and B sites, which coincides with a reduced bond strength in Ti5SiB2 compared to Mo5SiB2 and Ti4MoSiB2. Bandstructure calculations show that all three structures are metallic. The calculated mechanical and elastic properties show reduced bulk (B) and elastic (E) moduli when introducing Ti in Mo5SiB2, from 279 and 365 GPa to 176 and 258 GPa, respectively. The Pugh criteria indicates also a slight reduction in ductility, with a G/B ratio increasing from 0.51 to 0.59.

This work was inspired by new experimental findings where we discovered a two-dimensional (2D) material comprised of titanium-oxide-based one-dimensional (1D) sub-nanometer filaments. Preliminary results suggest that the 2D material contains considerable amounts of carbon, C, in addition to titanium, Ti, and oxygen, O. The aim of this study is to investigate the low-energy, stable atomic forms of 2D titanium carbo-oxides as a function of C content. Via a combination of first-principles calculations and an effective structure sampling scheme, the stable configurations of C-substitutions are comprehensively searched by templating different 2D TiO2 polymorphs and considering a two O to one C replacement scheme. Among the searched stable configurations, a structure where the (101) planes of anatase bound the top and bottom surfaces with a chemical formula of TiC1/4O3/2 was of particularly low energy. Furthermore, the variations in the electronic band structure and chemical bonding environments caused by the high-content C substitution are investigated via additional calculations using a hybrid exchange-correlation functional.

Different theoretical methodologies are employed to investigate the effect of hydrostatic pressure and anisotropic stress and strain on the superconducting transition temperature ( T-c) of MgB2. This is done both by studying Kohn anomalies in the phonon dispersions alone and by explicit calculation of the electron-phonon coupling. It is found that increasing pressure suppresses T-c in all cases, whereas isotropic and anisotropic strain enhances the superconductivity. In contrast to trialed epitaxial growth that is limited in the amount of achievable lattice strain, we propose a different path by co-deposition with ternary diborides that thermodynamically avoid mixing with MgB2. This is suggested to promote columnar growth that can introduce strain in all directions.

We perform a theoretical study of the electronic structure and magnetic properties of the prototypical magnetic MAX-phase Mn2GaC with the main focus given to the origin of magnetic interactions in this system. Using the density functional theory+dynamical mean-field theory (DFT+DMFT) method, we explore the effects of electron-electron interactions and magnetic correlations on the electronic properties, magnetic state, and spectral weight coherence of paramagnetic and magnetically ordered phases of Mn2GaC. We also benchmark the DFT-based disordered local moment approach for this system by comparing the obtained electronic and magnetic properties with that of the DFT+DMFT method. Our results reveal a complex magnetic behavior characterized by a near degeneracy of the ferro-and antiferromagnetic configurations of Mn2GaC, implying a high sensitivity of its magnetic state to fine details of the crystal structure and unit-cell volume, consistent with experimental observations. We observe robust local-moment behavior and orbital-selective incoherence of the spectral properties of Mn2GaC, implying the importance of orbital-dependent localization of the Mn 3d states. We find that Mn2GaC can be described in terms of local magnetic moments, which may be modeled by DFT with disordered local moments. However, the magnetic properties are dictated by the proximity to the regime of formation of local magnetic moments, in which the localization is in fact driven by Hunds exchange interaction, and not the Coulomb interaction.

The pursuit of new and better battery materials has given rise to numerous studies of the possibilities to use two-dimensional negative electrode materials, such as MXenes, in lithium-ion batteries. Nevertheless, both the origin of the capacity and the reasons for significant variations in the capacity seen for different MXene electrodes still remain unclear, even for the most studied MXene: Ti3C2Tx. Herein, freestanding Ti3C2Tx MXene films, composed only of Ti3C2Tx MXene flakes, are studied as additive-free negative lithium-ion battery electrodes, employing lithium metal half-cells and a combination of chronopotentiometry, cyclic voltammetry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy experiments. The aim of this study is to identify the redox reactions responsible for the observed reversible and irreversible capacities of Ti3C2Tx- based lithium-ion batteries as well as the reasons for the significant capacity variation seen in the literature. The results demonstrate that the reversible capacity mainly stems from redox reactions involving the Tx-Ti-C titanium species situated on the surfaces of the MXene flakes, whereas the Ti-C titanium present in the core of the flakes remains electro-inactive. While a relatively low reversible capacity is obtained for electrodes composed of pristine Ti3C2Tx MXene flakes, significantly higher capacities are seen after having exposed the flakes to water and air prior to the manufacturing of the electrodes. This is ascribed to a change in the titanium oxidation state at the surfaces of the MXene flakes, resulting in increased concentrations of Ti(II), Ti(III), and Ti(IV) in the Tx-Ti-C surface species. The significant irreversible capacity seen in the first cycles is mainly attributed to the presence of residual water in the Ti3C2Tx electrodes. As the capacities of Ti3C2Tx MXene negative electrodes depend on the concentration of Ti(II), Ti(III), and Ti(IV) in the Tx-Ti-C surface species and the water content, different capacities can be expected when using different manufacturing, pretreatment, and drying procedures.

On-surface acetylenic homocoupling has been proposed to construct carbon nanostructures featuring sp hybrid-ization. However, the efficiency of linear acetylenic coupling is far from satisfactory, often resulting in undesired enyne products or cyclotrimerization products due to the lack of strategies to enhance chemical selectivity. Herein, we inspect the acetylenic homocou-pling reaction of polarized terminal alkynes (TAs) on Au(111) with bond-resolved scanning probe microscopy. The replacement of benzene with pyridine moieties significantly prohibits the cyclotrimerization pathway and facilitates the linear coupling to produce well-aligned N-doped graphdiyne nanowires. Combined with density functional theory calculations, we reveal that the pyridinic nitrogen modification substantially differentiates the coupling motifs at the initial C-C coupling stage (head-to-head vs head-to-tail), which is decisive for the preference of linear coupling over cyclotrimerization.

The epitaxial growth of boron rich hexagonal zirconium diborides (h-ZrB2+delta) thin films on Si(111) substrates using the magnetron co-sputtering technique with elemental zirconium and boron is reported. The effect of process temperature (700-900 degrees C) on the compositions and epitaxy quality was investigated. The chemical composition of the films was found to have a higher boron to zirconium ratio than the ideal stoichiometric AlB2-type ZrB2 and was observed to be sensitive to process temperature. Films deposited at 700 degrees C exhibited intense diffraction peaks along the growth direction corresponding to (000l) of h-ZrB2 using both lab and synchrotron-based x-ray diffractograms. The thermal and compositional stability of the epitaxial h-ZrB2+delta film was further evaluated under a nitrogen-rich environment through isothermal annealing which showed a reduction in in-plane misorientation during thermal annealing. The relative stability of deviating compositions and the energetics of impurity incorporations were analyzed using density functional theory simulations, and the formation of native point defects or impurity incorporation in h-ZrB2 was found to be endothermic processes. Our experimental results showed that an epitaxial thin film of h-ZrB2+delta can be grown on Si(111) substrate using a magnetron co-sputtering technique at a relatively low processing temperature (700 degrees C) and has the potential to be used as a template for III-nitride growth on Si substrates.

Recent experiments [Barbero et al. Phys. Rev. B 95, 094505 (2017)] have established that bulk superconductivity (T_c ∼ 8.3-8.7 K) can be induced in AlB₂-type ZrB₂ and HfB₂, highly covalent refractory ceramics, by vanadium (V) doping. These AlB₂-structured phases provide an alternative to earlier diamon-like or diamond-based superconducting and superhard materials. However, the underlying mechanism for doping-induced superconductivity in these materials is yet to be addressed. In this paper, we have used first-principles calculations to probe electronic structure, lattice dynamics, and electron-phonon coupling (EPC) in V-doped ZrB₂ and consequently examine the origin of the superconductivity. We find that, while doping-induced stress weakens the EPC, the concurrently induced charges strengthen it. The calculated critical transition temperature (T_c) in electron (and V)-doped ZrB₂ is at least one order of magnitude lower than experiments, despite considering the weakest possible Coulomb repulsion between electrons in the Cooper pair, hinting a complex origin of superconductivity in it.

Chemical reactions on surfaces play a central role both for our daily life and industrial purposes, including the storage and release of energy, as well as the formation of new materials. To achieve high efficiency, catalysis lies in the heart of chemical reactions as it plays a critical role in accelerating the chemical transformation to target products. However, environmental issues arise as the applications of catalytic technologies and current synthetic approaches such as pollution from undesirable byproducts and massive emission of carbon dioxides due to the usage of fossil fuels. This calls for developing improved strategies for fabricating new materials with highly efficient catalytic properties. In recent years, on-surface chemical reactions have also been used to synthesize new low-dimensional materials with atomic precision, by coupling molecules into nanostructures. It is crucial to not only obtain high activity for chemical reactions, but also achieve distinct selectivity towards desired products. For this purpose, understanding mechanisms of target chemical reactions and origins of catalysts’ activity are of great significance to facilitate chemical processes.

In this thesis, three types of chemical reactions are investigated within the framework of density functional theory (DFT), in which chemical reactions relevant for both heterogeneous catalysis and electrochemical synthesis are considered on two-dimensional transition metal carbides (2D MXenes), and chemical reactions for synthesizing organic nanostructures are studied on metal surfaces. Focusing on one of the most fundamental chemical reaction, C(sp³)-H activation, we demonstrate that MXenes can serve as highly efficient heterogeneous catalysts and exhibit high activity. The thermally triggered C-H activations are shown to follow the “radical-like” mechanism on MXenes, in which O terminations serve as active sites. By adopting the hydrogen affinity (E_H) as a descriptor, both the geometry configuration and the catalytic activity of MXenes can be quantitatively characterized.

In the context of on-surface synthesis, we theoretically propose reaction mechanisms of two types of chemical reactions on surface. A new strategy for constructing C-C bonds via the desulfonylation reaction was achieved experimentally for the first time by collaborators. With DFT calculations, an observed discrepancy between Ag(111) and Au(111) is ascribed to interactions between surfaces and molecules. Secondly, the formation mechanism of the 2D biphenylene network (BPN), a recently realized carbon allotrope formed by intermolecular HF zipping on Au(111), has been computationally investigated.

With the tool of DFT calculations, a single Ni atom catalyst supported by Ti₃C₂T₂ MXenes for electrochemical nitrogen reduction has been theoretically proposed. Such single atom catalyst (SAC) is computationally screened from three aspects including stability, activity, and selectivity. Our theoretical results show that not only the catalytic performance of the Ni SAC predicted by screening criteria can be verified, but also a H rich environment can be beneficial for the electrochemical nitrogen reduction on such SACs.

In summary, first-principles calculations have been performed to evaluate the catalytic performance of 2D MXenes towards C-H activation, unravel formation mechanisms of organic materials synthesized via on-surface reactions, and design effective catalysts towards the synthesis of ammonia. It is anticipated that this thesis can pave the way for the rational design of high-efficient catalysts for various reactions and shed lights on developing synthetic strategies of unprecedented organic materials.

The synthesis of ammonia (NH3) from nitrogen (N2) under ambientconditions is of great significance but hindered by the lack of highly efficient catalysts. Byperformingfirst-principles calculations, we have investigated the feasibility for employing atransition metal (TM) atom, supported on Ti3C2T2MXene with O/OH terminations, as asingle-atom catalyst (SAC) for electrochemical nitrogen reduction. The potential catalyticperformance of TM single atoms is evaluated by their adsorption behavior on the MXene,together with their ability to bind N2and to desorb NH3molecules. Of importance, the OHterminations on Ti3C2T2MXene can effectively enhance the N2adsorption and decrease theNH3adsorption for single atoms. Based on proposed criteria for promising SACs, ourcalculations further demonstrate that the Ni/Ti3C2O0.19(OH)1.81exhibits reasonablethermodynamics and kinetics toward electrochemical nitrogen reduction.

We have computationally studied the formation mechanism of the biphenylene network via the intermolecular HF zipping, as well as identified key intermediates experimentally, on the Au(111) surface. We elucidate that the zipping process consists of a series of defluorinations, dehydrogenations, and C–C coupling reactions. The Au substrate not only serves as the active site for defluorination and dehydrogenation, but also forms C–Au bonds that stabilize the defluorinated and dehydrogenated phenylene radicals, leading to "standing" benzyne groups. Despite that the C–C coupling between the "standing" benzyne groups is identified as the rate-limiting step, the limiting barrier can be reduced by the adjacent chemisorbed benzyne groups. The theoretically proposed mechanism is further supported by scanning tunneling microscopy experiments, in which the key intermediate state containing chemisorbed benzyne groups can be observed. This study provides a comprehensive understanding towards the on-surface intermolecular HF zipping, anticipated to be instructive for its future applications.

Planar defect structures appearing in transition metal diboride (TMB2) thin films, grown by different magnetron sputtering-deposition approaches over a wide compositional and elemental range, were systematically investi-gated. Atomically resolved scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) imaging, electron energy loss spec-troscopy (EELS) elemental mapping, and first principles calculations have been applied to elucidate the atomic structures of the observed defects. Two distinct types of antiphase boundary (APB) defects reside on the {1(1) over bar 00} planes. These defects are without (named APB-1) or with (APB-2) local deviation from stoichiometry. APB-2 de-fects, in turn, appear in different variants. It is found that APB-2 defects are governed by the films composition, while APB-1 defects are endemic. The characteristic structures, interconnections, and circumstances leading to the formation of these APB-defects, together with their formation energies, are presented.

Among the existing materials for heat conversion, high-entropy alloys are of great interest due to the tunability of their functional properties. Here, we aim to produce single-phase high-entropy oxides composed of Co-Cr-Fe-Mn-Ni-O through spark plasma sintering (SPS), testing their thermoelectric (TE) properties. This material was successfully obtained before via a different technique, which requires a very long processing time. Hence, the main target of this work is to apply spark plasma sintering, a much faster and scalable process. The samples were sintered in the temperature range of 1200-1300 degrees C. Two main phases were formed: rock salt-structured Fm (3) over barm and spinel-structured Fd (3) over barm. Comparable transport properties were achieved via the new approach: the highest value of the Seebeck coefficient reached -112.6 mu V/K at room temperature, compared to -150 mu V/K reported before; electrical properties at high temperatures are close to the properties of the single-phase material (sigma = 0.2148 S/cm, sigma approximate to 0.2009 S/cm reported before). These results indicate that SPS can be successfully applied to produce highly efficient TE high-entropy alloys in a fast and scalable way. Further optimization is needed for the production of single-phase materials, which are expected to exhibit an even better TE functionality.

In this study, we model the chemical stability in the (Cr1-xFex)(2)AlC MAX phase system using density functional theory, predicting its phase stability for 0 &lt; x &lt; 0.2. Following the calculations, we have successfully synthesized nanolaminated (Cr1-xFex)(2)AlC MAX phase thin films with target Fe contents of x = 0.1 and x = 0.2 by pulsed laser deposition using elemental targets on MgO(111) and Al2O3 (0001) substrates at 600 degrees C. Structural investigations by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy reveal MAX phase epitaxial Iilms on both substrates with a coexisting (Fe,Cr)(5)Al-8 intermetallic secondary phase. Experiments suggest an actual maximum Fe solubility of 3.4 at %, corresponding to (Cr0.932Fe0.068)(2)AlC, which is the highest Fe doping level achieved so far in volume materials and thin films. Residual Fe is continuously distributed in the (Fe,Cr)(5)Al-8 intermetallic secondary phase. The incorporation of Fe results in the slight reduction of the c lattice parameter, while the a lattice parameter remains unchanged. The nanolaminated (Cr0.932Fe0.068)(2)AlC thin films show a metallic behavior and can serve as promising candidates for highly conductive coatings.

Fiber type devices are promising for applications in wearable and portable electronics. However, scalable fabrication of fiber electrodes with multifunctional performance for use in distinct fields remains challenging. Herein, high performance smart fibers based on Mo1.33C i-MXene nanosheets and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate hybrid paste are fabricated with an easily scalable spinning approach. The hybrid fibers produced by this method can be applied in both high-performance supercapacitors and electrochemical transistors (ECTs). When assembled into a fiber type asymmetric supercapacitor with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) fiber, a capacitance of 105 F g(-1) and an energy density of 37 mW h g(-1) were reached for a potential window of 1.6 V. The hybrid fiber based ECT shows high transconductance and fast response time. This work demonstrates the potential of i-MXene-based fiber electrodes for multifunctional applications, to aid in the development of the next-generation, high-performance wearable electronic devices.

Supercapacitors based on two-dimensional MXene (Ti3C2Tz) have shown extraordinary performance in ultrathin electrodes with low mass loading, but usually there is a significant reduction in high-rate performance as the thickness increases, caused by increasing ion diffusion limitation. Further limitations include restacking of the nanosheets, which makes it challenging to realize the full potential of these electrode materials. Herein, we demonstrate the design of a vertically aligned MXene hydrogel composite, achieved by thermal-assisted self-assembled gelation, for high-rate energy storage. The highly interconnected MXene network in the hydrogel architecture provides very good electron transport properties, and its vertical ion channel structure facilitates rapid ion transport. The resulting hydrogel electrode show excellent performance in both aqueous and organic electrolytes with respect to high capacitance, stability, and high-rate capability for up to 300 mu m thick electrodes, which represents a significant step toward practical applications.

3D printing technologies have expanded the possibilities of fabricating new composite materials with tailored properties, which depend on both the materials selected and the structural design at multiple length scales. Here, a catalyst-free CVD method has been used to produce hybrid materials based on 3D printed cellular alpha-Al2O3 substrates decorated by either nanocrystalline graphene or nanocrystalline graphitic films of tunable number of layers. Graphene-based coatings of variable thickness and crystallinity have been controlled by the alteration of the parameters of CVD processing, performed under CH4/H2 flux. Transmission electron microscopy has confirmed the effective growth of nanocrystalline graphene layers on the scaffolds due to the penetration of CVD gases into the open pores. The fully-connected and highly conductive 3D pathways have displayed a room temperature electrical conductivity in the range of 101-103 S m-1. Furthermore, the thermal conductivity has also increased by 50% for the specimen decorated with a 20 nm thick graphitic coating as compared to a bare 3D ceramic scaffold. The developed structures open up new possibilities for expanding the field of application of graphene/ceramic composites for conditions requiring dielectric substrates of various shapes coated with conductive films or graphene-based catalytic supports with good structural stability.

Carbon-based hybrid nanostructures have shown to be promising candidates as cost-efficient and effective fillers for electromagnetic interference shielding and RF absorption. In this work, hybrids of graphene-augmented inorganic (alumina) nanofibers (GAIN) have been incorporated in epoxy resin to fabricate a multilayer struc-ture with tunable absorption. Highly aligned graphene augmented alumina nanofibers of 10 +/- 2 nm in diameter were produced with the help of a hot wall one-step catalyst-free chemical vapor deposition method at 1000 degrees C. Effective medium approximation has been used to calculate the intrinsic dielectric properties of GAIN nanofibers. The highest loss tangent of 0.4 has been achieved in a 5 mm thick composite containing 1 vol% of randomly oriented nanofibers. Furthermore, aligned graphene augmented nanofibers were embedded in an epoxy resin matrix to examine the effect of fiber alignment on the dielectric properties of the composite. Based on the ob-tained dielectric data, a superposed three-layer structure has been fabricated, offering an absorption of &gt;90% in the entire X-band and an absorption peak of-25 dB at similar to 11 GHz. Several multilayer designs based on finite element method coupled with Monte Carlo simulations have been proposed to tune the absorption character-istics. This work demonstrates the potential of the hybrid nanofibers with a dual loss function for versatile design options in the area of RF absorption.