Browsing by Author "Bolat, Suleyman"

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Amorphous Silicon Nanoparticles and Silicon Nanoglasses From Ab Initio Simulations
(Springer, 2024) Bolat, Suleyman; Durandurdu, Murat
The structural and electrical characteristics of spherical amorphous silicon nanoparticles (Si-NPs) with radii ranging from 9 to 15 & Aring;, and silicon nanoglasses (Si-NGs) formed by compressing identical-sized Si-NPs, are being investigated for the first-time using ab initio simulations. Analysis reveals predominantly fourfold coordination within Si-NPs, accompanied by noticeable coordination defects. The prevalence of fourfold coordination increases with increasing Si-NP size. Si-NGs, while exhibiting similar dominant fourfold coordination, possess a small fraction of coordination defects (5-8%) primarily concentrated at the interfaces of compressed Si-NPs. Si-NGs are found to have a more open structure compared to amorphous Si. This structural variation, along with observed distortions within Si-NGs, is hypothesized to contribute to a significant narrowing of their band gaps relative to amorphous Si.
Citation - WoS: 1
Citation - Scopus: 1
Amorphous Zircon at High Pressure
(Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd, 2021) Bolat, Suleyman; Durandurdu, Murat
The high-pressure behavior of a very low-density amorphous zircon model having Zr (Si) coordination of 5.6 (4.02) is explored by ab initio simulations. Two consecutive pressure-induced phase modifications are proposed for this material. The first transition is from a very low-density amorphous state to a dense amorphous state having Zr (Si) coordination of 7.3 (4.5). The second one is from the dense phase to a high-density amorphous structure with Zr and Si coordination numbers of about 8 and 5.5, correspondingly. Both phase changes proceed progressively. The first phase transformation is irreversible whist the second one is reversible. The Voronoi polyhedron analysis reveals the presence of polyhedron of the zircon crystal (<0,4,4,0>), the zirconia baddaliyette phase (<1,3,3,0>) and the zirconia cotunnite state (<0,3,6,0>) around Zr atoms in the amorphous states formed on both compression and decompression, meaning that the amorphous configurations consist of a mixed state of them.
Citation - WoS: 2
Citation - Scopus: 2
Amorphous Boron Phosphide: An Ab Initio Investigation
(Elsevier, 2021) Bolat, Suleyman; Durandurdu, Murat
We generate a structural model of amorphous boron phosphide (BP) by quenching the melt via ab initio molecular dynamics calculations and compare it structurally and electrically with the crystal. We find that both phases of BP have a significantly different short-range order. Namely, the amorphous network presents strong chemical disorder and structural defects. P-atoms form only undercoordinated defects while B atoms present both undercoordinated and overcoordinated defects. The mean coordination number of B and P atoms is 4.17 and 3.69, correspondingly. Some of overcoordinated B atoms with chemical disorder yield the formation of pentagonal-pyramid-like motifs and a cage-like B10 cluster in the amorphous network. About 13 % volume expansion is observed by amorphization, probably due to the low-coordinated structural defects. The amorphous configuration is semiconductor as in the crystal but has a smaller energy band gap.
Citation - WoS: 4
Citation - Scopus: 4
Very Low Density Amorphous Phase of Zircon
(Elsevier Science Bv, 2019) Bolat, Suleyman; Durandurdu, Murat
Using a reliable ab initio molecular dynamics method, we investigate the rapid solidification of the zircon melt. Accompanied by amorphization, a drastic volume expansion of 27% is perceived. This value is fairly larger than 18% observed in the metamict zircon. Such a large volume swelling leads to a significant decrease in the mean coordination number of Zr atoms, which is about 5.66 and the lowest one reported so far. On the other hand, the volume expansion is found to have almost no impact on the average coordination number of Si atoms i.e., they maintain their tetragonal coordination. As suggested by earlier investigations, the polymerization of SiO4 units is witnessed but our model shows the highest polymerization with respect to the previous simulations. Based on our findings, we propose that our model does not represent the metamict zircon but a very low density amorphous phase of zircon.