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Register a new userBenchmarking van der Waals Density Functionals with Experimental Data: Potential Energy Curves for H2 Molecules on Cu(111), (100), and (110) Surfaces
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Detailed physisorption data from experiment for the H_2 molecule on low-index Cu surfaces challenge theory. Recently, density-functional theory (DFT) has been developed to account for nonlocal correlation effects, including van der Waals (dispersion) forces. We show that the functional vdW-DF2 gives a potential-energy curve, potential-well energy levels, and difference in lateral corrugation promisingly close to the results obtained by resonant elastic backscattering-diffraction experiments. The backscattering barrier is found selective for choice of exchange-functional approximation. Further, the DFT-D3 and TS-vdW corrections to traditional DFT formulations are also benchmarked, and deviations are analyzed.
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In this study we investigated by means of density functional theory calculations the adsorption geometry and bonding mechanism of a single thymine (C$_5$H$_6$N$_2$O$_2$) molecule on Cu(110) surface. In the most stable energetic configuration, the molecular plane is oriented perpendicular to substrate along the $[1bar{1}0]$ direction. For this adsorption geometry, the thymine molecule interacts with the surface via a deprotonated nitrogen atom and two oxygen ones such that the bonding mechanism involves a strong hybridization between the highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMOs) and the d-states of the substrate. In the case of a parallel adsorption geometry, the long-range van der Waals interactions play an important role on both the molecule-surface geometry and adsorption energy. Their specific role was analyzed by means of a semi-empirical and the seamless methods. In particular, for a planar configuration, the inclusion of the dispersion effects dramatically changes the character of the adsorption process from physisorption to chemisorption. Finally, we predict the real-space topography of the molecule-surface interface by simulating scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images. From these simulations we anticipate that only certain adsorption geometries can be imaged in STM experiments.
The nonlocal correlation energy in the van der Waals density functional (vdW-DF) method [Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 246401 (2004); Phys. Rev. B 76, 125112 (2007); Phys. Rev. B 89, 035412 (2014)] can be interpreted in terms of a coupling of zero-point energies of characteristic modes of semilocal exchange-correlation (xc) holes. These xc holes reflect the internal functional in the framework of the vdW-DF method [Phys. Rev. B 82, 081101(2010)]. We explore the internal xc hole components, showing that they share properties with those of the generalized-gradient approximation. We use these results to illustrate the nonlocality in the vdW-DF description and analyze the vdW-DF formulation of nonlocal correlation.
Semi-local density functional approximations are widely used. None of them can capture the long-range van der Waals (vdW) attraction between separated subsystems, but they differ remarkably in the extent to which they capture intermediate-range vdW effects responsible for equilibrium bonds between neighboring small closed-shell subsystems. The local density approximation (LDA) often overestimates this effect, while the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) generalized gradient approximation (GGA) underestimates it. The strongly-constrained and appropriately normed (SCAN) meta-GGA often estimates it well. All of these semi-local functionals require an additive non-local correction such as the revised Vydrov-Van Voorhis 2010 (rVV10) to capture the long-range part. This work reports adsorption energies and the corresponding geometry of the aromatic thiophene (C$_4$H$_4$S) bound to transition metal surfaces. The adsorption process requires a genuine interplay of covalent and weak binding and requires a simultaneously accurate description of surface and adsorption energies with the correct prediction of the adsorption site. All these quantities must come from well balanced short and long-range correlation effects for a universally applicable method for weak interactions with chemical accuracy.
We present the idea and illustrate potential benefits of having a tool chain of closely related regular, unscreened and screened hybrid exchange-correlation (XC) functionals, all within the consistent formulation of the van der Waals density functional (vdW-DF) method [JPCM 32, 393001 (2020)]. Use of this chain of nonempirical XC functionals allows us to map when the inclusion of truly nonlocal exchange and of truly nonlocal correlation is important. Here we begin the mapping by addressing hard and soft material challenges: magnetic elements, perovskites, and biomolecular problems. We also predict the structure and polarization for a ferroelectric polymer. To facilitate this work and future broader explorations, we furthermore present a stress formulation for spin vdW-DF and illustrate use of a simple stability-modeling scheme to assert when the prediction of a soft mode (an imaginary-frequency vibrational mode, ubiquitous in perovskites and soft matter) implies a prediction of an actual low-temperature transformation.
Van der Waals assembly of two-dimensional (2D) crystals continue attract intense interest due to the prospect of designing novel materials with on-demand properties. One of the unique features of this technology is the possibility of trapping molecules or compounds between 2D crystals. The trapped molecules are predicted to experience pressures as high as 1 GPa. Here we report measurements of this interfacial pressure by capturing pressure-sensitive molecules and studying their structural and conformational changes. Pressures of 1.2 +/- 0.3 GPa are found using Raman spectrometry for molecular layers of one nanometer in thickness. We further show that this pressure can induce chemical reactions and several trapped salts or compounds are found to react with water at room temperature, leading to 2D crystals of the corresponding oxides. This pressure and its effect should be taken into account in studies of van der Waals heterostructures and can also be exploited to modify materials confined at the atomic interfaces.
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