DFT investigation of metal-decorated silicon carbide nanosheets for the adsorption of NH3

The threat that ammonia (NH3) poses in various human activity environments drives the necessity of sensors of higher sensitivity. Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted attention for this particular purpose, with 2D silicon carbide being one prospect for this application. However, this potential use has been relatively unexplored. In this work, we study the adsorption of NH3 on pristine and metal (Li, Na, Mg, Ca, Ag, Au, Cu, Pd, and Ti) decorated silicon carbide monolayers (2D-SiC) using a first-principles approach based on Density-Functional Theory. Energetic analyses were performed to determine the enhancement or deterioration of the NH3 adsorption capacities of the 2D-SiC. The results show that the Ag- and Au-decorated monolayers are the best candidates for NH3 capturing due to the large adsorption energies found in these systems.