Universität Stuttgart
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Item Open Access Machine learning-driven investigation of the structure and dynamics of the BMIM-BF4 room temperature ionic liquid(2024) Zills, Fabian; Schäfer, Moritz René; Tovey, Samuel; Kästner, Johannes; Holm, ChristianRoom-temperature ionic liquids are an exciting group of materials with the potential to revolutionize energy storage. Due to their chemical structure and means of interaction, they are challenging to study computationally. Classical descriptions of their inter- and intra-molecular interactions require time intensive parametrization of force-fields which is prone to assumptions. While ab initio molecular dynamics approaches can capture all necessary interactions, they are too slow to achieve the time and length scales required. In this work, we take a step towards addressing these challenges by applying state-of-the-art machine-learned potentials to the simulation of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate. We demonstrate a learning-on-the-fly procedure to train machine-learned potentials from single-point density functional theory calculations before performing production molecular dynamics simulations. Obtained structural and dynamical properties are in good agreement with computational and experimental references. Furthermore, our results show that hybrid machine-learned potentials can contribute to an improved prediction accuracy by mitigating the inherent shortsightedness of the models. Given that room-temperature ionic liquids necessitate long simulations to address their slow dynamics, achieving an optimal balance between accuracy and computational cost becomes imperative. To facilitate further investigation of these materials, we have made our IPSuite-based training and simulation workflow publicly accessible, enabling easy replication or adaptation to similar systems.Item Open Access Gold nanoparticle-mediated DNA origami nanoarchitectures(2024) Peil, Andreas; Na Liu, Laura (Prof. Dr.)Since its origin in the 1980s, DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) nanotechnology has established itself as a captivating nanofabrication technique with ever increasing impact that combines aspects from physics, chemistry, and biology to construct artificial nanosystems by means of molecular self assembly. Within the field of DNA nanotechnology, the DNA origami technique represents one of the most versatile fabrication tools to craft functional two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) nanostructures from the bottom up. These structures offer precisely tailored geometries along with programmable functions, featuring positional addressability with sub-5 nm resolution and exceptional spatiotemporal accuracy. This thesis discusses strategies to employ the DNA origami technique to assemble intricate hybrid nanosystems with synergistically integrated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The AuNPs take over different roles; they grant (i) structural and (ii) functional features and enable the (iii) optical monitoring of the systems. This approach allows the fabrication of nanostructures piece by piece to explore their structural and functional properties at the nanoscale in detail. The first publication covers different strategies for the hierarchical assembly of topological DNA origami structures using a AuNP-templated self-assembly approach. The assembly of [2], [3], and [4]catenanes with interconnecting AuNPs is elucidated. The AuNPs can be controllably released to disconnect the individual rings, leaving only the mechanical bond of the catenane chain. In the second publication, a dynamic AuNP-DNA origami gear system is presented that is designed to emulate a planetary gearset with precise spatiotemporal control over its rotation dynamics. The AuNPs serve three crucial tasks. They (i) structurally link the origami ring modules, (ii) mediate the rotation and (iii) enable the real time optical tracking of the rotation via fluorescence spectroscopy. The system enables tightly orchestrated and programmable bidirectional rotations. In the third publication, reconfigurable chiral metastructures comprising multiple plasmonic particles that are accurately positioned in a helical manner around a DNA origami template are discussed. The implementation of a DNA ‘swingarm strategy’ enables the simultaneous and efficient relocation of multiple closely spaced AuNPs over large distances to precisely tune the chiroptical response of the system. The presented publications illustrate the beneficial synergies between DNA origami systems and rationally integrated AuNPs with the aim to advance and expand the application spectrum of these hybrid nanosystems within their scientific disciplines.Item Open Access CO2-induced drastic decharging of dielectric surfaces in aqueous suspensions(2024) Vogel, Peter; Beyer, David; Holm, Christian; Palberg, ThomasWe study the influence of airborne CO2 on the charge state of carboxylate stabilized polymer latex particles suspended in aqueous electrolytes. We combine conductometric experiments interpreted in terms of Hessinger's conductivity model with Poisson-Boltzmann cell (PBC) model calculations with charge regulation boundary conditions. Without CO2, a minority of the weakly acidic surface groups are dissociated and only a fraction of the total number of counter-ions actually contribute to conductivity. The remaining counter-ions exchange freely with added other ions like Na+, K+ or Cs+. From the PBC-calculations we infer a corresponding pKa of 4.26 as well as a renormalized charge in reasonably good agreement with the number of freely mobile counter-ions. Equilibration of salt- and CO2-free suspensions against ambient air leads to a drastic de-charging, which exceeds by far the expected effects of to dissolved CO2 and its dissociation products. Further, no counter-ion-exchange is observed. To reproduce the experimental findings, we have to assume an effective pKa of 6.48. This direct influence of CO2 on the state of surface group dissociation explains our recent finding of a CO2-induced decrease of the ζ-potential and supports the suggestion of an additional charge regulation caused by molecular CO2. Given the importance of charged surfaces in contact with aqueous electrolytes, we anticipate that our observations bear substantial theoretical challenges and important implications for applications ranging from desalination to bio-membranes.Item Open Access Combining orbital and real space quantum Monte Carlo methods(2024) Hosseini, Seyed Mohammadreza; Alavi, Ali (Prof. Dr.)Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) methods are wave-function-based approaches based on random sampling that provide a very direct treatment of many-body problems and serve as benchmarks against which other techniques may be compared. This thesis is concerned with the development of QMC methods for the calculation of highly-accurate electronic energies. In particular, it focusses on combining QMC methods, namely continuum methods such as variational and diffusion Monte Carlo (VMC and DMC) with full configuration interaction quantum Monte Carlo (FCIQMC). The principal aim of this thesis is to show that thanks to their complementary nature, these methods can be used in combination to overcome specific weaknesses that each methodology has by itself. The thesis begins with introductory chapters which describe the various QMC methods as they are used in the literature. Following this, three different methodologies are explored, which have applicabilities to different types of systems. In the first method, we present a new technique to obtain very accurate total and relative energies by extrapolating VMC and DMC energies, with the help of FCIQMC-generated trial wave functions combined with a Jastrow factor and an optional backflow transformation. We find that the VMC and DMC energies are smooth functions of the sum of the squared coefficients in the FCIQMC wave function, and that quadratic extrapolations of the VMC and DMC energies intersect within uncertainty of the exact total energy. With adequate statistical treatment of quasi-random fluctuations, the extrapolated intersection with polynomials of order two (XSPOT) method is shown to yield results in agreement with benchmark-quality total and relative energies for various molecular systems. Following this, we combine the DMC and transcorrelated FCIQMC (TC-FCIQMC) methods, along with a finite-size extrapolation framework to calculate the thermodynamic limit of the exact correlation energy of the high-density spin-unpolarized uniform electron gas. The thermodynamic limit obtained at rs = 0.5 is within uncertainty of the most recent QMC correlation energy from the literature. In the final method, we introduce a new extrapolation scheme which eliminates the energy bias stemming from the initiator approximation in the FCIQMC method. We find that extrapolating the FCIQMC energy linearly in n^(−1/3) to the infinite-walker limit yields results in excellent agreement with the benchmark full configuration interaction (FCI) limits from the semistochastic heat-bath configuration interaction (SHCI) method. The method is applied to a series of diatomics and the results are accurate, with FCI limits obtained from FCIQMC differing by 0.4 mHa or less from their SHCI counterparts throughout. The more complex chromium atom and dimer are also successfully studied using this method.Item Open Access Sulfobetaine ionic liquid crystals based on strong acids : phase behavior and electrochemistry(2024) Lange, Alyna; Kapernaum, Nadia; Wojnarowska, Zaneta; Holtzheimer, Lea; Mies, Stefan; Williams, Vance; Gießelmann, Frank; Taubert, AndreasA group of new zwitterion based ionic liquid crystals (ILCs) have been synthesized. Depending on the counter anion (mesylate or hydrogen sulfate) the phase behavior of the resulting ILCs is quite different. Mesylate based ILCs show complex phase behavior with multiple phases depending on the alkyl chain length. In contrast, hydrogen sulfate based systems always exhibit Colr phases irrespective of the alkyl chain length. The latter show much larger ILC mesophase windows and are thermally stable up to ca. 200 °C. All ILCs show reasonable ionic conductivities of up to 10-4 S cm-1 at elevated temperatures, making these ILCs candidates for intermediate temperature ionic conductors.Item Open Access Heteroepitaxial tuning of resonant forbidden reflections in a spinel(2024) Oka, Ryosuke; Kim, Minu; Wochner, Peter; Francoual, Sonia; Palstra, Thomas T. M.; Takagi, Hidenori; Huang, DennisIn resonant elastic X-ray scattering (REXS), low site symmetries in a crystal may be revealed through resonant Bragg reflections that are normally forbidden in conventional X-ray diffraction due to screw axes and/or glide planes. These resonant forbidden reflections have been observed in spinel compounds, but to better understand and utilize their connection to microscopic material parameters and possible charge and/or orbital ordering, a systematic study of their dependence on growth conditions and applied strain is desired. We performed REXS at the V K edge and examined the resonant forbidden (002) reflection in thin films of the spinel LiV2O4 grown on three substrates: MgAl2O4, SrTiO3, and MgO. The energy dependence of the (002) reflection shows a systematic evolution as epitaxial strain modifies the local anisotropy of the V site. More strikingly, the integrated intensity of the (002) reflection varies by more than an order of magnitude in films on different substrates. We speculate that the large variation in integrated intensity reflects the varying degree of antiphase domains that arise during the epitaxy.Item Open Access Particle-resolved simulation of the pyrolysis process of a single plastic particle(2024) Zhang, Feichi; Tavakkol, Salar; Galeazzo, Flavio C. C.; Stapf, DieterParticle-resolved simulations have been performed to study the pyrolysis process of a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) particle in an inert hot nitrogen flow. The simulations resolve the velocity and temperature boundary layers around the particle, as well as the gradients of temperature and concentration within the particle. The objective of this work is to gain an in-depth understanding of the effect of particle morphology-specifically, the particle size and shape-on the interplay between heat transfer and pyrolysis progress, as well as to assess the applicable particle size when using the Lagrangian concept for simulating plastic pyrolysis. In all simulation cases, the pyrolysis reaction is initiated at the external surface of the particle, where the particle is heated the fastest. The reaction front propagates inward toward the core of the particle until it is fully pyrolyzed. For particle diameters larger than 4 mm, distinct temperature gradients within the particle can be detected, leading to a temperature difference of more than 10 K between the core and the external surface of the plastic particle. In this case, the Lagrangian simulations yield a considerably slower conversion compared with the particle-resolved simulations. Moreover, the cylindrical particle in longitudinal flow has been found to be pyrolyzed more slowly compared with the spherical and shell-shaped particles, which is attributed to the enhanced heat transfer conditions for the cylindrical particle. The results reveal the importance of considering particle morphology when modeling plastic pyrolysis. In addition, the Lagrangian approach, which assumes particle homogeneity, is only applicable for particle diameters smaller than 2 mm when modeling plastic pyrolysis.Item Open Access New examples of ferroelectric nematic materials showing evidence for the antiferroelectric smectic-Z phase(2024) Nacke, Pierre; Manabe, Atsutaka; Klasen-Memmer, Melanie; Chen, Xi; Martinez, Vikina; Freychet, Guillaume; Zhernenkov, Mikhail; Maclennan, Joseph E.; Clark, Noel A.; Bremer, Matthias; Giesselmann, FrankWe present a new ferroelectric nematic material, 4-((4′-((trans)-5-ethyloxan-2-yl)-2′,3,5,6′-tetrafluoro-[1,1′-biphenyl]-4-yl)difluoromethoxy)-2,6-difluorobenzonitrile (AUUQU-2-N) and its higher homologues, the molecular structures of which include fluorinated building blocks, an oxane ring, and a terminal cyano group, all contributing to a large molecular dipole moment of about 12.5 D. We observed that AUUQU-2-N has three distinct liquid crystal phases, two of which were found to be polar phases with a spontaneous electric polarization Ps of up to 6 µC cm-2. The highest temperature phase is a common enantiotropic nematic (N) exhibiting only field-induced polarization. The lowest-temperature, monotropic phase proved to be a new example of the ferroelectric nematic phase (NF), evidenced by a single-peak polarization reversal current response, a giant imaginary dielectric permittivity on the order of 103, and the absence of any smectic layer X-ray diffraction peaks. The ordinary nematic phase N and the ferroelectric nematic phase NF are separated by an antiferroelectric liquid crystal phase which has low permittivity and a polarization reversal current exhibiting a characteristic double-peak response. In the polarizing light microscope, this antiferroelectric phase shows characteristic zig-zag defects, evidence of a layered structure. These observations suggest that this is another example of the recently discovered smectic ZA (SmZA) phase, having smectic layers with the molecular director parallel to the layer planes. The diffraction peaks from the smectic layering have not been observed to date but detailed 2D X-ray studies indicate the presence of additional short-range structures including smectic C-type correlations in all three phases-N, SmZA and NF-which may shed new light on the understanding of polar and antipolar order in these phases.Item Open Access Magneto-oscillatory localization for small-scale robots(2024) Fischer, Felix; Gletter, Christian; Jeong, M.; Qiu, TianMagnetism is widely used for the wireless localization and actuation of robots and devices for medical procedures. However, current static magnetic localization methods suffer from large required magnets and are limited to only five degrees of freedom due to a fundamental constraint of the rotational symmetry around the magnetic axis. We present the small-scale magneto-oscillatory localization (SMOL) method, which is capable of wirelessly localizing a millimeter-scale tracker with full six degrees of freedom in deep biological tissues. The SMOL device uses the temporal oscillation of a mechanically resonant cantilever with a magnetic dipole to break the rotational symmetry, and exploits the frequency-response to achieve a high signal-to-noise ratio with sub-millimeter accuracy over a large distance of up to 12 centimeters and quasi-continuous refresh rates up to 200 Hz. Integration into real-time closed-loop controlled robots and minimally-invasive surgical tools are demonstrated to reveal the vast potential of the SMOL method.Item Open Access Fundamental understanding of inherent processes in magnesium-sulfur batteries(2024) Häcker, Joachim; Friedrich, K. Andreas (Prof. Dr. rer. nat.)In the face of climate change, the decarbonization of industry and everyday life has finally been declared a global goal in recent years, with energy storage in batteries playing a key role. These are needed for both, the decarbonization of vehicles and, in the long term, aviation, as well as in the stationary sector for grid stabilization due to day-night or seasonal fluctuations in renewable energy generation. On account of raw material shortages, lithium-based batteries alone, however, will not be capable to meet the global demand – thus alternative battery systems are tracking attention in the past decade. Among the various cell chemistries under research, magnesium-sulfur represent a promising electrochemical couple in terms of material abundance, high energy density, improved safety, good recyclability and low cost. Despite benefitting from the long-term research on lithium-sulfur batteries (Li-S), the magnesium-sulfur battery (Mg-S) is still in its infancy facing unique challenges and intrinsic limitations. This cumulative dissertation consists of five peer-reviewed scientific articles, which aim to shed light on different components and processes in a Mg-S battery constituting the main obstacles in its development, namely (i) the high ion charge density resulting in large desolvation energy, slow diffusion and impeded redox kinetics, (ii) the sulfur dissolution, self-discharge and polysulfide shuttle and (iii) the passivating surface layers on the Mg anode. Therefore, different attempts in terms of electrode manufacturing and operando characterization methods were pursued. Starting with an in-depth analysis of the first discharge cycle by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the subsequent study applied operando UV/Vis spectroscopy and operando imaging to gain insights into the sulfur and polysulfide dissolution of different cathode compositions during the initial ten cycles. Identifying the magnesium anode and the processes at its electrolyte interface as crucial for the efficiency and capacity retention, the long-term cycling performance of pristine and coated Mg anodes was investigated over 150 cycles. Additionally, the influence of sulfur species on the interfacial processes of six different anode concepts could be determined in symmetrical and full cells applying operando EIS. In a concluding study, the transport properties of Mg cations in different separators were compared to their calcium and lithium counterparts. The main findings comprise a severe three-staged self-discharge governed by the sulfur reduction at the unprotected Mg surface and boosted by temperature. An artificial SEI coating is beneficial to not only mitigate the self-discharge, but also enhance the initial Coulombic efficiency and capacity retention. This is originated in mitigated parasitic reactions to form an in situ SEI, mainly consisting of MgF2, MgS and MgO, on the magnesium surface. Therein, hindering the reaction of sulfur species is particularly decisive to circumvent large interfacial resistances. On the cathode side, polar additives are beneficial to serve as adsorption and reaction centers, however with no long-term effect due to precipitates covering the surface. The kinetic of the sulfur redox reactions, which involve S8, S62- and S42- in the glyme-based Mg[B(hfip)4]2 electrolyte, are significantly enhanced by temperature indicating the sluggish MgS nucleation kinetics and Mg2+ solid diffusion. Its inherent high charge density further affects the magnesium cation transport in the electrolyte and its desolvation at the anode/electrolyte interface due to the rigid and strongly bound solvation shell. Consequently, in comparison to calcium and lithium, larger polarization overpotentials and separator tortuosities, respectively, were observed in the Mg system.