Highlights with ‘BAND’

Excitons with a twist: 2D optoelectronics

A recent experimental and theoretical study uncovers the effect of twisting layers in van der Waals heterostructures. Exciton transport in heterobilayers of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs, MXenes) is found to be modulated by the twist...

2Exciting: ITN on 2D optoelectronics

2Exciting is a new MSCA-ITN-ETN European Training Network on two-dimensional semiconductors and their optoelectronic properties – it has just been selected for funding by the EU. The consortium includes universities and small companies across 10...

New single-layer 2D Covalent Organic Framework discovered: TANG-COF

The discovery of ballistic charge transport in graphene ignited the quest for two-dimensional (2D) materials and they are now used in various applications, such as electronics and materials science. In particular, 2D π-conjugated covalent organic...

Palladium makes PVC industry greener

Poly vinyl chloride (PVC) is one of the most widely used polymers with low cost and outstanding performance, which is synthesized through free radical polymerization reaction of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM). Currently, activated carbon (AC)...

Accurate optical spectra of semi-conductors and insulators

Our BAND developers in Toulouse published a simple yet accurate method to obtain accurate optical spectra for semi-conductors and insulators. In a recent Phys. Rev. B paper they combine time-dependent DFT with the dynamical Polarization...

Enhanced electrocatalytic water splitting on MoTe2

A new method of extracting hydrogen from water more efficiently could help underpin the capture of renewable energy in the form of sustainable fuel. Transition metal dichalcogenides are promising electrocatalytic materials for the hydrogen evolution...

MoS2 hydrodesulfurization catalyst

A recent Nature Communication paper characterizes a model MoS2 hydrodesulfurization catalyst compound under operating conditions -high temperature and high pressure- for a model organosulfur compound by combining STM with DFT calculations. The combined experimental and...

Screening industrial polymers for lithium–ion batteries electrode materials

Organic polymers are promising electrode materials for lithium ion batteries due to their low solubility, low self-discharge rates, high mechanical strength, great flexibility, superior thermal stability, and versatility. A recent study virtually screens industrial polymers...

Analyzing bonding interactions of molecules on surfaces: Paper & Tutorial

A recent review paper on periodic energy decomposition analysis (pEDA) by Lisa Pecher & Ralf Tonner was widely covered in the media (HLRS, CMFE, EurekAlert). The pEDA calculations enable deep insight in molecule-surface interactions, which...

Understanding Band Structures – “Mirrors of Bonding” in Perovskite Crystals

Band structures are a widely used tool in solid state physics and materials science to analyze the electronic structure of crystalline materials. However, the band structure of materials relevant for actual applications are often rather...