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1.
Infrared spectra in amorphous alumina
Luigi Giacomazzi, Nikita S Shcheblanov, Mikhail E Povarnitsyn, Yanbo Li, Andraž Mavrič, Barbara Zupančič, Jože Grdadolnik, Alfredo Pasquarello, complete scientific database of research data

Abstract: We present a combined study based on experimental measurements of infrared (IR) dielectric function and first-principles calculations of IR spectra and vibrational density of states (VDOS) of amorphous alumina (am-Al₂O₃). In particular, we show that the main features of the imaginary part of the dielectric function ε₂(ω) at ~380 and 630 cm-¹ are related to the motions of threefold coordinated oxygen atoms, which are the vast majority of oxygen atoms in am-Al₂O₃. Our analysis (involving three model structures) provides an alternative point of view with respect to an earlier suggested assignment of the vibrational modes, which relates them to the stretching and bending vibrational modes of AlOₙ (n = 4, 5, and 6) polyhedra. Our assignment is based on the additive decomposition of the VDOS and ε₂(ω) spectra, which shows that: (i) the band at ~380 cm-¹ features oxygen motions occurring in a direction normal to the plane defined by the three nearest-neighbor aluminum atoms, i.e. out-of-plane motions of oxygen atoms; (ii) Al-O stretching vibrations (i.e. in-plane motions of oxygen atoms) appear at frequencies above ~500 cm-¹, which characterize the vibrational modes underlying the band at ~630 cm-¹.
Keywords: amorphous alumina, infrared spectra, first-principles calculations
Published in RUNG: 15.09.2023; Views: 686; Downloads: 7
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2.
Infrared spectra in amorphous alumina : a combined ab initio and experimental study
Luigi Giacomazzi, Nikita S. Shcheblanov, Mikhail E. Povarnitsyn, Yanbo Li, Andraž Mavrič, Barbara Zupančič, Jože Grdadolnik, Alfredo Pasquarello, 2023, original scientific article

Abstract: We present a combined study based on the experimental measurements of an infrared (IR) dielectric function and first-principles calculations of IR spectra and the vibrational density of states (VDOS) of amorphous alumina (am−Al2O3). In particular, we show that the main features of the imaginary part of the dielectric function ε2(ω) at ∼380 and 630 cm−1 are related to the motions of threefold-coordinated oxygen atoms, which are the vast majority of oxygen atoms in am-Al2O3. Our analysis provides an alternative point of view with respect to an earlier suggested assignment of the vibrational modes, which relates them to the stretching and bending vibrational modes of AlOn (n=4, 5, and 6) polyhedra. Our assignment is based on the additive decomposition of the VDOS and ε2(ω) spectra, which shows that (i) the band at ∼380cm−1 features oxygen motions occurring in a direction normal to the plane defined by the three nearest-neighbor aluminum atoms, i.e., out-of-plane motions of oxygen atoms; (ii) Al-O stretching vibrations (i.e., in-plane motions of oxygen atoms) appear at frequencies above ∼500cm−1, which characterize the vibrational modes underlying the band at ∼630cm−1. Aluminum and fourfold-coordinated oxygen atoms contribute uniformly to the VDOS and ε2(ω) spectra in the frequency region ∼350–650 cm−1 without causing specific features. Our numerical results are in good agreement with the previous and presently obtained experimental data on the IR dielectric function of am−Al2O3 films. Finally, we show that the IR spectrum can be modeled successfully by assuming isotropic Born charges for aluminum atoms and fourfold-coordinated oxygen atoms, while requiring the use of three parameters, defined in a local reference frame, for the anisotropic Born charges of threefold-coordinated oxygen atoms.
Keywords: dielectric properties, microstructure, amorphous materials, density functional calculations, infrared techniques, aluminium oxide
Published in RUNG: 10.05.2023; Views: 1119; Downloads: 6
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3.
Highly active iron phosphide catalysts for selective electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia
Takwa Chouki, Manel Machreki, Iwona A. Rutkowska, Beata Rytelewska, Pawel Jozef Kulesza, Georgi Tyuliev, Moussab Harb, Luis Miguel Azofra, Saim Emin, 2023, original scientific article

Abstract: The electrochemical reduction reaction of the nitrate ion (NO3−), a widespread water pollutant, to valuable ammonia (NH3) is a promising approach for environmental remediation and green energy conservation. The development of high-performance electrocatalysts to selectively reduce NO3− wastes into value-added NH3 will open up a different route of NO3− treatment, and impose both environmental and economic impacts on sustainable NH3 synthesis. Transition metal phosphides represent one of the most promising earth-abundant catalysts with impressive electrocatalytic activities. Herein, we report for the first time the electrocatalytic reduction of NO3− using different phases of iron phosphide. Particularly, FeP and Fe2P phases were successfully demonstrated as efficient catalysts for NH3 generation. Detection of the in-situ formed product was achieved using electrooxidation of NH3 to nitrogen (N2) on a Pt electrode. The Fe2P catalyst exhibits the highest Faradaic efficiency (96 %) for NH3 generation with a yield (0.25 mmol h−1 cm-−2 or 2.10 mg h−1 cm−2) at − 0.55 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). The recycling tests confirmed that Fe2P and FeP catalysts exhibit excellent stability during the NO3− reduction at − 0.37 V vs. RHE. To get relevant information about the reaction mechanisms and the fundamental origins behind the better performance of Fe2P, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed. These results indicate that the Fe2P phase exhibits excellent performance to be deployed as an efficient noble metal-free catalyst for NH3 generation.
Keywords: iron phosphide, electrocatalysts, nitrates reduction ammonia, DFT calculations
Published in RUNG: 02.02.2023; Views: 1168; Downloads: 4
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4.
5.
Search for Anisotropy in the Ultra High Energy Cosmic Ray Spectrum using the Telescope Array Surface Detector
R.U. Abbasi, Jon Paul Lundquist, 2017, other component parts

Abstract: The Telescope Array (TA) experiment is located in the western desert of Utah, USA, and observes ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) in the Northern hemisphere. At the highest energies, E>10~EeV, the shape of cosmic ray energy spectrum may carry an imprint of the source density distribution along the line of sight different in different directions of the sky. In this study, we search for such directional variations in the shape of the energy spectrum using events observed with the Telescope Array's surface detector. We divide the TA field of view into two nearly equal-exposure regions: the "on-source" region which we define as ±30∘ of the supergalactic plane containing mostly nearby structures, and the complementary "off-source" region where the sources are further away on average. We compare the UHECR spectra in these regions by fitting them to the broken power law and comparing the resulting parameters. We find that the off-source spectrum has an earlier break at highest energies. The chance probability to obtain such or larger difference in statistically equivalent distributions is estimated as 6.2±1.1×10−4 (3.2σ) by a Monte-Carlo simulation. The observed difference in spectra is in a reasonable quantitative agreement with a simplified model that assumes that the UHECR sources trace the galaxy distribution from the 2MRS catalogue, primary particles are protons and the magnetic deflections can be neglected.
Keywords: cosmic radiation: UHE, detector: surface, cosmic radiation: spectrum, cosmic radiation: energy spectrum, deflection: magnetic, numerical calculations: Monte Carlo, anisotropy
Published in RUNG: 27.04.2020; Views: 2744; Downloads: 98
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6.
Characterization of Mg low-index surfaces by first-principles
Miha Gunde, 2017, master's thesis

Abstract: In this work, three surfaces, namely, Mg(0001), Mg(10 ̄1 0) and Mg(11 ̄2 0) are investigated by means of Density Functional Theory and Generalized Gradient Approximation first-principle calculations. The surfaces have been characterized in terms of their interlayer distances, surface energies, Projected Density of States and Surface Core Level Shifts. Contrary to what was found in previous studies based on Density Functional Theory-Local Density Approximation, the use of Generalized Gradient Approximation exchange correlation functional unravels the oscillatory behavior of both interlayer distances and Surface Core Level Shifts of Mg(10 ̄1 0). Moreover, the Projected Density Of States of un-reconstructed Mg(11 ̄2 0) exhibit the typical quantisation of electronic levels associated to a 2D-confinement of a 3D nearly-free electron gas, as observed in nano-wires, and a Peierls instability along the unconfined direction. Different possible reconstructions on Mg(11 ̄2 0) have then been investigated. In particular, it is found that the surface energy of (2X1) and (3X1) reconstructions is almost degenerate and lower than the surface energy of the unreconstructed Mg(11 ̄2 0) surface. Because of the quasi-degeneracy of surface energies, Mg(11 ̄2 0) surface should be composed by a combination of all the quasi degenerate phases.
Keywords: Density Functional Theory, first-principle calculations, Mg surface, Surface Core-Level Shift, surface relaxation, surface reconstruction
Published in RUNG: 04.07.2017; Views: 5984; Downloads: 2104
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