0000000001307193
AUTHOR
Julia Contreras-garcía
High pressure theoretical and experimental analysis of the bandgap of BaMoO4, PbMoO4, and CdMoO4
We have investigated the origin of the bandgap of BaMoO4, PbMoO4, and CdMoO4 crystals on the basis of optical absorption spectroscopy experiments and ab initio electronic band structure, density of states, and electronic localization function calculations under high pressure. Our study provides an accurate determination of the bandgaps Eg and their pressure derivatives d E g / dP for BaMoO4 (4.43 eV, −4.4 meV/GPa), PbMoO4 (3.45 eV, −53.8 meV/GPa), and CdMoO4 (3.71 eV, −3.3 meV/GPa). The absorption edges were fitted with the Urbach exponential model which we demonstrate to be the most appropriate for thick crystals with direct bandgaps. So far, the narrowing of the bandgap of distinct PbMoO4…
Unveiling the role of the lone electron pair in sesquioxides at high pressure: compressibility of β-Sb2O3
The structural, vibrational and electronic properties of the compressed beta-Sb2O3 polymorph, a.k.a. mineral valentinite, have been investigated in a joint experimental and theoretical study up to 23 GPa. The compressibility of the lattice parameters, unit-cell volume and polyhedral unit volume as well as the behaviour of its Raman- and IR-active modes under compression have been interpreted on the basis of ab initio theoretical simulations. Valentinite shows an unusual compressibility up to 15 GPa with four different pressure ranges, whose critical pressures are 2, 4, and 10 GPa. The pressure dependence of the main structural units, the lack of soft phonons, and the electronic density char…
Ordered helium trapping and bonding in compressed arsenolite: Synthesis ofAs4O6·2He
Compression of arsenolite has been studied from a joint experimental and theoretical point of view. Experiments on this molecular solid at high pressures with different pressure-transmitting media have been interpreted thanks to state-of-the-art ab initio calculations. Our results confirm arsenolite as one of the most compressible minerals and provide evidence for ordered helium trapping above 3 GPa between adamantane-type $\mathrm{A}{\mathrm{s}}_{4}{\mathrm{O}}_{6}$ cages. Our calculations indicate that, at relatively small pressures, helium establishes rather localized structural bonds with arsenic forming a compound with stoichiometry $\mathrm{A}{\mathrm{s}}_{4}{\mathrm{O}}_{6}\ifmmode\c…
Characterization and Decomposition of the Natural van der Waals SnSb2Te4 under Compression
[EN] High pressure X-ray diffraction, Raman scattering, and electrical measurements, together with theoretical calculations, which include the analysis of the topological electron density and electronic localization function, evidence the presence of an isostructural phase transition around 2 GPa, a Fermi resonance around 3.5 GPa, and a pressure-induced decomposition of SnSb2Te4 into the high-pressure phases of its parent binary compounds (alpha-Sb2Te3 and SnTe) above 7 GPa. The internal polyhedral compressibility, the behavior of the Raman-active modes, the electrical behavior, and the nature of its different bonds under compression have been discussed and compared with their parent binary…
Tuning Azoheteroarene Photoswitch Performance through Heteroaryl Design
International audience; Photoswitchable compounds, which can be reversibly switched between two isomers by light, continue to attract significant attention for a wide array of applications. Azoheteroarenes represent a relatively new but understudied type of photoswitch, where one of the aryl rings from the conventional azobenzene class has been replaced with a five-membered heteroaromatic ring. Initial studies have suggested the azoheteroarenes – the arylazopyrazoles in particular – to have excellent photoswitching properties (quantitative switching and long Z isomer half-life). Here we present a systematic computational and experimental study to elucidate the origin of the long thermal hal…
Bending Carbon Nanoforms for Supramolecular Recognition: A Topological Study on Hemifullerene-Based Aggregates
International audience; Buckybowls have risen as appealing fullerene fragment derivatives. Their intrinsic curvature has been exploited in the generation of host–guest supramolecular assemblies, not only through concave–convex complementarity but also through less-known concave–concave staggered arrangements. Whereas the stabilization of bowl-in-bowl dispositions has been ascribed to efficient π–π forces together with favorable dipole–dipole interactions, a detailed analysis on the forces guiding the formation of the staggered arrangements is missing so far. Herein, we present a thorough theoretical characterization of bowl-in-bowl vs staggered hemifullerene-based homodimers and heterodimer…
CCDC 1503532: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination
Related Article: Joaquín Calbo, Claire E. Weston, Andrew J. P. White, Henry S. Rzepa, Julia Contreras-García, Matthew J. Fuchter|2017|J.Am.Chem.Soc.|139|1261|doi:10.1021/jacs.6b11626
CCDC 1503530: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination
Related Article: Joaquín Calbo, Claire E. Weston, Andrew J. P. White, Henry S. Rzepa, Julia Contreras-García, Matthew J. Fuchter|2017|J.Am.Chem.Soc.|139|1261|doi:10.1021/jacs.6b11626
CCDC 1503531: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination
Related Article: Joaquín Calbo, Claire E. Weston, Andrew J. P. White, Henry S. Rzepa, Julia Contreras-García, Matthew J. Fuchter|2017|J.Am.Chem.Soc.|139|1261|doi:10.1021/jacs.6b11626
CSD 2044072: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination
Related Article: Juan Angel Sans, Francisco Javier Manjón, André Luis de Jesus Pereira, Javier Ruiz-Fuertes, Catalin Popescu, Alfonso Muñoz, Plácida Rodríguez-Hernández, Julio Pellicer-Porres, Vanesa Paula Cuenca-Gotor, Julia Contreras-García, Jordi Ibañez, and Virginia Monteseguro|2020|ICSD Communication|||