Ni Xiaojuan, Zhou Yinong, Sethi Gurjyot, Liu Feng
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake, Utah 84112, USA.
Phys Chem Chem Phys. 2020 Nov 18;22(44):25827-25832. doi: 10.1039/d0cp03941a.
π-Orbital bonding plays an important role not only in traditional molecular science and solid-state chemistry but also in modern quantum physics and materials, such as the relativistic Dirac states formed by bonding and antibonding π-bands in graphene. Here, we disclose an interesting manifestation of π-orbitals in forming the Yin-Yang Kagome bands, which host potentially a range of exotic quantum phenomena. Based on first-principles calculations and tight-binding orbital analyses, we show that the frontier π2- and π3-orbitals in anilato-based metal-organic frameworks form concurrently a conduction and valence set of Kagome bands, respectively, but with opposite signs of lattice hopping to constitute a pair of enantiomorphic Yin and Yang Kagome bands, as recently proposed in a diatomic Kagome lattice. The twisted configuration of neighboring benzene-derived organic ligands bridged by an octahedrally O-coordinated metal ion is found to play a critical role in creating the opposite sign of lattice hopping for the π2- versus π3-orbitals. Our finding affords a new material platform to study π-orbital originated quantum chemistry and physics.
π轨道键合不仅在传统分子科学和固态化学中起着重要作用,而且在现代量子物理和材料中也起着重要作用,例如石墨烯中由成键和反键π带形成的相对论狄拉克态。在这里,我们揭示了π轨道在形成阴阳 Kagome 能带中的有趣表现,这些能带可能承载一系列奇异的量子现象。基于第一性原理计算和紧束缚轨道分析,我们表明基于邻氨基苯甲酸酯的金属有机框架中的前沿π2和π3轨道分别同时形成了一组传导和价态的 Kagome 能带,但具有相反符号的晶格跳跃,从而构成了一对对映体的阴阳 Kagome 能带,正如最近在双原子 Kagome 晶格中所提出的那样。发现由八面体O配位的金属离子桥接的相邻苯衍生有机配体的扭曲构型在为π2与π3轨道创造相反符号的晶格跳跃方面起着关键作用。我们的发现为研究π轨道起源的量子化学和物理提供了一个新的材料平台。