arXiv subjects

Roberto H. Miwa

Publications and source records attributed to Roberto H. Miwa.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Self-assembly and Electronic Properties of Graphyne and Graphdiyne Molecular Wires on Metallic Surfaces

Molecular self-assembly on solid surfaces has been the subject of extensive research, motivated by both fundamental and technological interests. On the fundamental side, these studies seek to elucidate the mechanisms governing molecular self-assembly and the resulting surface structures. From an applied perspective, they provide a route toward controlling surface reactions and engineering molecular electronic devices. Here, based on first-principles density functional theory calculations, we present a comprehensive study of self-assembled molecular wires (MWs), composed of graphyne (GY(1D)) and graphdiyne (GYD(1D))-like structures, adsorbed on Au(111), Ag(111), and Al(111) surfaces. Our total-energy calculations reveal that non-aligned MW arrays are energetically preferred on all three metal substrates. The GY(1D) and GYD(1D) molecular wires interact with the metal surfaces through van der Waals (vdW) forces, while their molecular orbitals do not contribute to the formation of metallic interface states. Simulated X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra reveal that the C 1s spectral features of the molecular wires are largely preserved upon adsorption, while the absolute binding energies undergo a substantial downshift that is nearly independent of the metal substrate, indicating that metallic screening effects dominate the adsorption-induced core-level shifts. Electronic band-structure calculations further show that the semiconducting character of the molecular wires is retained, resulting in vdW metal-semiconductor heterostructures in which the semiconducting component consists of one-dimensional semiconducting channels. These findings demonstrate that self-assembled graphyne- and graphdiyne-based molecular wires on metal surfaces provide a promising platform for the realization of low-dimensional molecular electronic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Understanding the Oxygen Reduction Reaction and Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Metal Intercalated Biphenylene Bilayers

We conducted an {\it ab initio} study of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in metal-encapsulated biphenylene bilayers, B/M/B, with M = Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Nb, Ru, W, Os and Pt. In most systems, the intercalated metal sits at the square carbon sites (C$^{468}$) of the biphenylene lattice. Using a computational hydrogen electrode approach, we evaluated the reaction energetics at these active sites. Several B/M/B systems show competitive ORR and OER performance. Among the investigated systems, Cu, Pt, Ru, and Mn exhibit the lowest ORR overpotentials of 0.42, 0.44, 0.50, and 0.56 V, respectively, while Fe is identified as the most active catalyst for OER with an overpotential of 0.44 V. To understand the catalytic trends, we looked at the electronic structure through the metal $d-$band centers, the C$^{468}$ $p_z-$band centers, and the corresponding orbital charge populations. The band centers did not give a simple polynomial dependence on the overpotentials, though they did point to favorable electronic ranges for the best catalysts. The $d-$orbital charge population of the encapsulated metal, however, correlated most clearly with activity-especially for OER-yielding volcano-type plots. From these, B/Fe/B emerges as the best OER catalyst, while B/Mn/B lies closest to the ORR optimum. The $p-$orbital population at the active carbon site also captures the main trends, albeit less strongly. Overall, these results show that straightforward electronic descriptors can predict catalytic behavior in metal-encapsulated biphenylene bilayers and guide the search for efficient catalysts where the carbon framework itself drives the reactivity.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Beyond Hexagonal Boron Nitride: First-Principles Study of Pentaoctite-BN and Pop-BN Monolayers

We investigate two novel non-hexagonal boron nitride monolayers, pentaoctite-BN (PO-BN) and pop-BN (PP-BN), using first-principles calculations. Their structural, electronic, mechanical, vibrational, thermal, and optical properties are systematically analyzed to assess their stability and potential applications. Despite being metastable with respect to hexagonal BN, both polymorphs satisfy the criteria for dynamical, mechanical, and thermal stability, indicating that they are viable two-dimensional materials. Both systems are indirect-gap semiconductors whose electronic states near the band edges are dominated by out-of-plane pz orbitals. Their distinct pentagon-octagon ring networks also give rise to different in-plane elastic anisotropies. Many-body optical calculations reveal strong excitonic effects and pronounced polarization-dependent optical absorption, with lattice engineering shifting the optical response from the ultraviolet toward the visible and infrared regions. These findings demonstrate that engineering non-hexagonal lattice architectures provides an effective strategy for tuning the electronic and optical properties of two-dimensional BN, highlighting PO-BN and PP-BN as promising candidates for future optoelectronic and photonic applications.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Intrinsic Instabilities and Mechanical Anisotropy in Halide Perovskite Monolayers

Halide perovskites have been extensively studied owing to their excellent optoelectronic properties and their unique lattice characteristics, that are very soft and anharmonic. Recent studies indicate the importance of a deep understanding of their surfaces and, in the limit, the properties of low-dimensional structures based on these materials. To investigate the structural and electronic properties of halide perovskite monolayers (i.e., perovskenes), this work uses first-principles simulations. We have studied three different stoichiometries (ABX3, ABX4, and A2BX4) and structural phases for iodide, bromide, and chloride perovskite monolayers. Their thermodynamic behavior was evaluated through the construction of phase diagrams, highlighting the instability of the ABX4 stoichiometry, which was further supported by its mechanical instability. Structurally, the covalent characteristics of the Pb--X bond, in contrast to the Cs--X bonds, induce a strong anisotropy in the Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio along different crystallographic directions, and also account for the lower stiffness observed in the phases where the octahedra are not aligned. The electronic properties are somewhat similar to those of their 3D counterparts, but with a slightly larger band gap; in the monolayers, the band gap increases with halogen electronegativity (I, Br, Cl) and octahedral tilting. Moreover, the non-symmetric ABX3 stoichiometry exhibited a spin splitting due to the internal dipole moment in these layers. Overall, our work lays the groundwork for a deeper understanding of low-dimensional structures based on halide perovskites.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Interacting Virtual Topological Phases in Defect-Rich 2D Materials

We investigate the robustness of {\it virtual} topological states -- topological phases away from the Fermi energy -- against the electron-electron interaction and band filling. As a case study, we employ a realistic model to investigate the properties of vacancy-driven topological phases in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and establish a connection between the degree of localization of topological wave functions, the vacancy density, and the electron-electron interaction strength with the topological phase robustness. We demonstrate that electron-electron interactions play a crucial role in degrading topological phases thereby determining the validity of single-particle approximations for topological insulator phases. Our findings can be naturally extended to {\it virtual} topological phases of a wide range of materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Catenary-like rippled biphenylene/graphene lateral heterojunction

In this study, we conduct a first-principles analysis to explore the structural and electronic properties of curved biphenylene/graphene lateral junctions (BPN/G). We start our investigation focusing on the energetic stability of BPN/G by varying the width of the graphene region, BPN/Gn. The electronic structure of BPN/Gn reveals (i) the formation of metallic channels mostly localized along the BPN stripes, where (ii) the features of the energy bands near the Fermi level are ruled by the width (n) of the graphene regions, Gn. In the sequence, we find that the hydrogenation of BPN/Gn results in a semiconductor system with a catenary-like rippled geometry. The electronic states of the hydrogenated system are mainly confined in the curved Gn regions, and the dependence of the bandgap on the width of Gn is similar to that of hydrogenated armchair graphene nanoribbons. The effects of curvature on the electronic structure, analyzed in terms of external mechanical strain, revealed that the increase/decrease of the band gap is also dictated by the width of the Gn region. Further electronic transport calculations reveal a combination of strong transmission anisotropy and the emergence of negative differential resistance. Based on these findings, we believe that rippled biphenylene/graphene systems can be useful for the design of two-dimensional nanodevices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Exploring Topological Transport in Pt$_2$HgSe$_3$ Nanoribbons: Insights for Spintronic Device Integration

The discovery of the quantum spin Hall effect led to the exploration of the electronic transport for spintronic devices. Here, we theoretically investigated the electronic conductance in large-gap realistic quantum spin Hall system, Pt$_2$HgSe$_3$ nanoribbons. By an ab initio approach, we found that the edge states present a penetration depth of about $0.9$\,{nm}, which is much smaller than those predicted in other 2D topological systems. Thus, suggesting that Pt$_2$HgSe$_3$ allows the exploitation of topological transport properties in narrow ribbons. Using non-equilibrium Green's functions calculations, we have examined the electron conductivity upon the presence of Se\,$\leftrightarrow$\,Hg antistructure defects randomly distributed in the Pt$_2$HgSe$_3$ scattering region. By considering scattering lengths up to $109$\,nm, we found localization lengths that can surpass $μ$m sizes for narrow nanoribbons ($<9$\,nm). These findings can contribute to further understanding the behavior of topological insulators under realistic conditions and their integration within electronic, spintronic devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Noncentrosymmetric two-dimensional Weyl semimetals in porous Si/Ge structures

In this work we predict a family of noncentrosymmetric two-dimensional (2D) Weyl semimetals composed by porous Ge and SiGe structures. These systems are energetically stable graphenylene-like structures with a buckling, spontaneously breaking the inversion symmetry. The nontrivial topological phase for these 2D systems occurs just below the Fermi level, resulting in nonvanishing Berry curvature around the Weyl nodes. The emerged Weyl semimetals are protected by $C_3$ symmetry, presenting one-dimensional edge Fermi-arcs connecting Weyl points with opposite chiralities. Our findings complete the family of Weyl in condensed-matter physics, by predicting the first noncentrosymmetric class of 2D Weyl semimetals.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Bridging Borophene and Metal Surfaces: Structural, Electronic, and Electron Transport Properties

Currently, solid interfaces composed of two-dimensional materials (2D) in contact with metal surfaces (m-surf) have been the subject of intense research, where the borophene bilayer (BBL) has been considered a prominent material for the development of electronic devices based on 2D platforms. In this work, we present a theoretical study of the energetic, structural, and electronic properties of the BBL/m-surf interface, with m-surf = Ag, Au, and Al (111) surfaces, and the electronic transport properties of BBL channels connected to the BBL/m-surf top contacts. We find that the bottom-most BBL layer becomes metalized, due to the orbital hybridization with the metal surface states, resulting in BBL/m-surf ohmic contacts, meanwhile, the inner and top-most boron layers kept their semiconducting character. The net charge transfers reveal that BBL has become $n$-type ($p$-type) doped for m-surf = Ag, and Al (= Au). A thorough structural characterization of the BBL/m-surf interface, using a series of simulations of the X-ray photoelectron spectra, shows that the formation of BBL/m-surf interface is characterized by a redshift of the B-$1s$ spectra. Further electronic transport results revealed the emergence of a Schottky barrier between 0.1 and 0.2\,eV between the BBL/m-surf contact and the BBL channels. We believe that our findings are timely, bringing important contributions to the applicability of borophene bilayers for developing 2D electronic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Stacking order effects on the energetic stability and electronic properties of $n$-doped graphene/h-BN van der Waals heterostructures on SiC(0001)

Heterostructures made of stacked 2D materials with different electronic properties are studied for their potential in creating multifunctional devices. Graphene (G) and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) van der Waals (vdW) systems have been extensively researched, including recent studies on synthesizing h-BN on graphene/SiC(0001) templates. These studies suggest that h-BN encapsulation could occur in addition to vdW epitaxy. This work presents theoretical research on G/h-BN heterostructures on SiC(0001) with a carbon buffer layer. The results show an energetic preference for h-BN encapsulation below a single layer of graphene: G/h-BN/SiC in bilayer systems and G/h-BN/G/SiC in trilayer systems. Electronic structure calculations reveal that the linear energy band dispersion of graphene is maintained in bilayer systems but with Dirac points at different energy positions due to the varied electron doping level of graphene. In trilayer systems, the doping level of graphene also depends on the stacking order. The electronic band structure of G/h-BN/G/SiC features two Dirac points below the Fermi level but with different energies. Less stable systems like G/G/h-BN/ and h-BN/G/G/SiC display parabolic bands near the Fermi level. Additional structural characterizations were performed based on simulations of C-1s core-level-shift (CLS) and carbon K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) to aid future experimental spectroscopy in these graphene/h-BN vdW systems.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Nanoscale Structural and Electronic Properties of Cellulose/Graphene Interfaces

The development of electronic devices based on the functionalization of (nano)cellulose platforms relies upon an atomistic understanding of the structural, and electronic properties of the combined system, cellulose/functional element. In this work, we present a theoretical study of the nanocellulose/graphene interface (nCL/G) based on first-principles calculations. We find that the binding energies of both hydrophobic/G (nCL$^{\rm phob}$/G) and hydrophilic/G (nCL$^{\rm phil}$/G) interfaces are primarily dictated by the van der Waals interactions, and are comparable with that of their 2D interface counterparts. We verify that the energetic preference of nCL$^{\rm phob}$/G has been reinforced by the inclusion of an aqueous media via the implicit solvation model. Further structural characterization was carried out using a set of simulations of Carbon K-edge X-ray absorption spectra to identify and distinguish the key absorption features of the nCL$^{\rm phob}$/G and nCL$^{\rm phil}$/G interfaces. The electronic structure calculations reveal that the linear energy bands of graphene lie in the band gap of the nCL, sheet, while depletion/accumulation charge density regions are observed. We show that external agents, i.e. electric field and mechanical strain, allow for tunability of the Dirac cone and the charge density at the interface. The control/maintenance of the Dirac cone states in nCL/G is an important feature for the development of electronic devices based on cellulosic platforms.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Oxidation of 2D electrenes: structural transition and the formation of half-metallic channels protected by oxide layers

Based on first-principles calculations we performed a systematic study of the energetic stability, structural characterization, and electronic properties of the fully oxidized $A_{2}B$, electrenes, with the following combinations, (i) $A$=Ca, Sr, and Ba for $B$=N; (ii) $A$=Sr and Ba for $B$=P; and Y$_{2}$C, and Ba$_{2}$As. We have considered one side oxidation of single layer electrenes $(O/A_{2}B)$, and two side oxidation of bilayer electrenes $(O/(A_{2}B)_{2}/O)$. We show that the hexagonal lattice of the pristine host is no longer the ground state structure in the oxidized systems. Our total energy results reveal an exothermic structural transition from hexagonal to tetragonal (h$\rightarrow$t) geometry, resulting in layered tetragonal structures [$(AOAB)^{t}$, and $(AO(AB)_{2}AO)^{t}$]. Phonon spectra calculations and molecular dynamic simulations show that the $O/A_{2}B$, and $O/(A_{2}B)_{2}/O$ systems, with $A$=Ba, Ca, Sr, and $B$=N, become dynamically and structurally stable upon such a h$\rightarrow$t transition. Further structural characterizations were performed based on simulations of the near edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the nitrogen K-edge. Finally, the electronic structure calculations and transport calculations reveal the formation of half-metallic bands spreading out through the $A$N layers, which are shielded by oxide $A$O sheets. These findings indicate that $(AOAB)^{t}$, and $(AO(AB)_{2}AO)^{t}$, (with $B$=N) are quite interesting platforms for application in spintronics; since the half-metallic channels along the $A$N or $(A\text{N})_2$ layers (core) are protected against the environment conditions by the oxidized $A\text{O}$ sheets (cover shells).

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Electronic properties of the Weyl semimetals Co$_2$MnX (X=Si, Ge, Sn)

Using first-principles electronic structure calculations, we show that ferromagnetic Heusler compounds Co$_2$MnX (X= Si, Ge, Sn) present non-trivial topological characteristics and belong to the category of Weyl semimetals. These materials exhibit two topologically interesting band crossings near the Fermi level. These band crossings have complex 3D geometries in the Brillouin zone and are characterized by non-trivial topology as Hopf links and chain-like nodal lines, that are protected by the perpendicular mirror planes. The spin-orbit interaction split these nodal lines into several zero-dimensional Weyl band crossings. Unlike previously known topologically non-trivial Heusler materials, these majority-spin band crossings lie in the band gap of minority spin bands, potentially facilitating its experimental realization.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Machine learning of microscopic ingredients for graphene oxide/cellulose interaction

Understanding the role of microscopic attributes in nanocomposites allows for a controlled and, therefore, acceleration in experimental system designs. In this work, we extracted the relevant parameters controlling the graphene oxide binding strength to cellulose by combining first-principles calculations and machine learning algorithms. We were able to classify the systems among two classes with higher and lower binding energies, which are well defined based on the isolated graphene oxide features. By a theoretical X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis, we show the extraction of these relevant features. Additionally, we demonstrate the possibilities of a refined control within a machine learning regression between the binding energy values and the system's characteristics. Our work presents a guiding map to the control graphene oxide/cellulose interaction.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Unveiling the dopant segregation effect at hematite interfaces

Understanding the effects of atomic structure modification in hematite photoanodes is essential for the rational design of high-efficiency functionalizations. Recently it was found that interface modification with Sn/Sb segregates considerably increases hematite photocatalytic efficiency. However, the understanding of the different electronic effects of these modifications at the atomic level is still lacking. This letter describes the segregation effects of two different dopants-Sn and Sb-on both the solid-solid (grain-boundaries) and solid-liquid interfaces (surfaces) of hematite. Within an ab-initio approach, we quantitatively extract the potential barrier reduction on polycrystalline interfaces due to the dopant, which causes an increase in the inter-grain electron transport. Concomitantly, the dopants' segregation on hematite surfaces results in a decrease of the oxygen vacancy formation energy. Such vacancies lead to the experimentally observed rise of the flat-band potential. The comprehension of the electronic effects of dopants on both types of interfaces explains the experimental peak efficiency of interface-modified hematite with dopant segregates, also enabling the control and design of interfaces for different higher-efficiency applications.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Disassembling of TEMPO-oxidized cellulose fibers: intersheet and interchain interactions in the isolation of nanofibers and unitary chains

Cellulose disassembly is an important issue in designing nanostructures using cellulose-based materials. In this work, we present a joint of experimental and theoretical study addressing the disassembly of cellulose nanofibrils. Through 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) mediated oxidation processes, combined with atomic force microscopy results, we find the formation of nanofibers with diameters corresponding to a single cellulose polymer chain. The formation of these polymer chains is ruled by repulsive electrostatic interactions between the oxidized chains. Further first-principles calculations have been done in order to provide an atomistic understanding the cellulose disassembling processes, focusing on the balance of the interchain and intersheet interactions upon oxidation. Firstly we analyse these interaction in pristine systems, where we found the intersheet interaction stronger than the interchain one. In the oxidized systems, we have considered the formation of (charged) carboxylate groups along the inner sites of elementary fibrils. We show a net charge concentration on the carboxylate groups, supporting the emergence of repulsive electrostatic interactions between the cellulose nanofibers. Indeed, our total energy results show that the weakening of the binding strength between the fibrils is proportional to the concentration and the net charge density of the carboxylate group. Moreover, by comparing interchain and intersheet binding energies, we found that most of the disassembly processes should take place by breaking the interchain O--H$\cdots$O hydrogen bond interactions, and thus supporting the experimental observation of single and double cellulose polymeric chains.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Simulation of XANES spectroscopy and the calculation of total energies for N-heterocyclic carbenes on Au(111)

It has recently been demonstrated that N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) form self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on metal surfaces. Consequently, it is important to both characterize and understand their binding modes to fully exploit NHCs in functional surface systems. To assist with this effort, we have performed {\it first-principles} total energy calculations for NHCs on Au(111) and simulations of X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES). The NHCs we have considered are N,N-dimethyl-, N,N-diethyl-, N,N-diisopropylbenzimidazolylidene ($^B$NHC$^X$, with X=Me, Et, and iPr, respectively) and the bis-$^B$NHC$^X$ complexes with Au derived from these molecules. We present a comprehensive analysis of the energetic stability of both the $^B$NHC$^X$ and the complexes on Au(111) and, for the former, examine the role of the wing group in determining the attachment geometry. Further structural characterization is performed by calculating the nitrogen K-edge X-ray absorption spectra. Our simulated XANES results give insight into (i) the relationship between the $^B$NHC$^X$/Au geometry and the N($1s$) $\rightarrow$ $π^\ast/σ^\ast$, pre-edge/near-edge, absorption intensities, and (ii) the contributions of the molecular deformation and molecule-surface electronic interaction to the XANES spectrum. Our simulations are compared with recent experimental results.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Structural Transition in Oxidized Ca$_2$N Electrenes: CaO/CaN 2D heterostructures

Based on first-principles calculations we show that the oxidation of ultrathin films of Ca$_2$N electrides, electrenes, drives a hexagonal$\rightarrow$tetragonal structural transition. The ground state configuration of the oxidized monolayer (ML) and bilayer (BL) systems can be viewed as CaO/CaN and CaO/(CaN)$_2$/CaO two dimensional (2D) heterostructures. In both systems, we found nearly free electron (NFE) states lying near the vacuum level, and the spatial projection reveals that they are localized above the oxidized CaO surface. Focusing on the magnetic properties, we find that the nitrogen atoms of the oxidized Ca$_2$N becomes spin-polarized ($\sim$1 $μ_{\rm B}$/N-atom); where (i) the ferromagnetic and the anti-ferromagnetic phases are nearly degenerated in the ML system, CaO/CaN, while (ii) there is an energetic preference for the ferromagnetic phase in CaO/(CaN)$_2$/CaO. We show that such a FM preference can be strengthened upon mechanical compression. Further electronic structure calculations reveal that the FM CaO/Ca$_2$N/CaO presents half-metallicity, where the metallic channels project (predominantly) on the N-$2p_{x,y}$ orbitals. In addition to the total energy results, molecular dynamic and phonon spectra calculations have been done in order to verify its thermal and structural stabilities. Those findings suggest that CaO/Ca$_2$N/CaO is a quite interesting, and structurally stable, 2D FM heterostructure characterized half-metallic bands sandwiched by NFE states lying on the oxidized surfaces.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗