Yang Xiang-Dong

First-principles calculation of the lattice compressibility, elastic anisotropy and thermodynamic stability of V2GeC

We investigate the elastic and the thermodynamic properties of nanolaminate V2GeC by using the ab initio pseudopotential total energy method. The axial compressibility shows that the c axis is always stiffer than the a axis. The elastic constant calculations demonstrate that the structural stability is within 0–800 GPa. The calculations of Youngs and shear moduli reveal the softening behaviour at about 300 GPa. The Possion ratio makes a higher ionic or a weaker covalent contribution to intra-atomic bonding and the degree of ionicity increases with pressure. The relationship between brittleness and ductility shows that V2GeC is brittle in ambient conditions and the brittleness decreases and ductility increases with pressure. Moveover, we find that V2GeC is largely isotropic in compression and in shear, and the degree of isotropy decreases with pressure. The Gruneisen parameter, the Debye temperature and the thermal expansion coefficient are also successfully obtained for the first time.

Electronic structure and optical properties of rutile RuO2 from first principles

The systematic trends of electrionic structure and optical properties of rutile (P42/mnm) RuO2 have been calculated by using the plane-wave norm-conserving pseudopotential density functional theory (DFT) method within the generalised gradient approximation (GGA) for the exchange–correlation potential. The obtained equilibrium structure parameters are in excellent agreement with the experimental data. The calculated bulk modulus and elastic constants are also in good agreement with the experimental data and available theoretical calculations. Analysis based on electronic structure and pseudogap reveals that the bonding nature in RuO2 is a combination of covalent, ionic and metallic bonds. Based on a Kramers–Kronig analysis of the reflectivity, we have obtained the spectral dependence of the real and imaginary parts of the complex dielectric constant (1 and 2, respectively) and the refractive index (n); and comparisons have shown that the theoretical results agree well with the experimental data as well. Meanwhile, we have also calculated the absorption coefficient, reflectivity index, electron energy loss function of RuO2 for radiation up to 30 eV. As a result, the predicted reflectivity index is in good agreement with the experimental data at low energies.

Optical investigation of shock-produced chemical products in pseudo-aluminized explosive powders explosion

An optical investigation was performed to investigate the formation of carbon in pseudo-micro-aluminized hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine explosive powder explosion. X-ray diffraction analyses indicated that carbon was one of the major ingredients in the residue. Instantaneous emission spectra of C2, AlO, CO and CO2 showed that micro-aluminium promotes the ejected carbon at 3159 ± 50 K temperature and 6–8 MPa blast pressure. The convincing reason is that excess Al creates an O-poor environment.

Structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of boron cluster anions doped with aluminum: BnAl− (2 ≤ n ≤ 9)

The geometrical structures, relative stabilities, electronic and magnetic properties of small BnAl− (2 ≤ n ≤ 9) clusters are systematically investigated by using the first-principles density functional theory. The results show that the Al atom prefers to reside either on the outer-side or above the surface, but not in the centre of the clusters in all of the most stable BnAl− (2 ≤ n ≤ 9) isomers and the one excess electron is strong enough to modify the geometries of some specific sizes of the neutral clusters. All the results of the analysis for the fragmentation energies, the second-order difference of energies, and the highest occupied-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy gaps show that B4Al− and B8Al− clusters each have a higher relative stability. Especially, the B8Al− cluster has the most enhanced chemical stability. Furthermore, both the local magnetic moments and the total magnetic moments display a pronounced odd-even oscillation with the number of boron atoms, and the magnetic effects arise mainly from the boron atoms except for the B7Al− and B9Al− clusters.

The evaluation of bond dissociation energies for NO2 scission in nitro compounds using density functional and complete basis set methods

By using the density functional theory (B3LYP) and four highly accurate complete basis set (CBS-Q, CBS-QB3, CBS-Lq and CBS-4M) ab initio methods, the X(C, N, O)–NO2 bond dissociation energies (BDEs) for CH3NO2, C2H3NO2, C2H5NO2, HONO2, CH3ONO2, C2H5ONO2, NH2NO2 (CH3)2NNO2 are computed. By comparing the computed BDEs and experimental results, it is found that the B3LYP method is unable to predict satisfactorily the results of bond dissociation energy (BDE); however, all four CBS models are generally able to give reliable predication of the X(C, N, O)–NO2 BDEs for these nitro compounds. Moreover, the CBS-4M calculation is the least computationally demanding among the four CBS methods considered. Therefore, we recommend CBS-4M method as a reliable method of computing the BDEs for this nitro compound system.

Pseudopotential Density-Functional Calculations for Structures of Small Carbon Clusters CN (N = 2 ~ 8)*

We introduce a first-principles density-functional theory, i.e. the finite-difference pseudopotential density-functional theory in real space and the Langevin molecular dynamics annealing technique, to the descriptions of structures and some properties of small carbon clusters CN (N = 2 ~ 8). It is shown that the odd-numbered clusters have linear structures and most of the even-numbered clusters prefer cyclic structures.

First-Principles Study of Structural, Elastic and Electronic Properties of OsSi

First-principles study of structural, elastic, and electronic properties of the B20 structure OsSi has been reported using the plane-wave pseudopotential density functional theory method. The calculated equilibrium lattice and elastic constants are in good agreement with the experimental data and other theoretical results. The dependence of the elastic constants, the aggregate elastic modulus, the deviation from the Cauchy relation, the elastic wave velocities in different directions and the elastic anisotropy on pressure have been obtained and discussed. This could be the first quantitative theoretical prediction of the elastic properties under high pressure of OsSi compound. Moreover, the electronic structure calculations show that OsSi is a degenerate semiconductor with the gap value of 0.68 eV, which is higher than the experimental value of 0.26 eV. The analysis of the PDOS reveals that hybridization between Os d and Si p states indicates a certain covalency of the Os-Si bonds.

A Correlation Potential Method for Electron Scattering Total Cross Section Calculations on Several Diatomic and Polyatomic Molecules over Energy Range 10~5000 eV

A complex optical model potential correlated by the concept of bonded atom, which considers the overlapping effect of electron clouds between two atoms in a molecule, is firstly employed to calculate the total cross sections for electron scattering on several molecules (NH3, H2O, CH4, CO, N2, O2, and C2H4) over the energy range 10~5000 eV using the additivity rule model at Hartree–Fock level. The difference between the bonded atom and the free one in states is that the overlapping effect of electron clouds of bonded atoms in a molecule is considered. The quantitative total cross sections are compared with the experimental data and with the other calculations wherever available and good agreement is obtained over the energy range 10~5000 eV. It is shown that the correlated calculations are much closer to the available experimental data than the uncorrelated ones at lower energies, especially below 500 eV. Therefore, considering the overlapping effect of electron clouds in the complex optical model potential could be helpful for the better accuracy of the total cross section calculations of electron scattering from molecules.

Electronic, thermodynamic and elastic properties of pyrite RuO2

This paper calculates the elastic,thermodynamic and electronic properties of pyrite (P a3ˉ) RuO2 by the plane-wave pseudopotential density functional theory (DFT) method.The lattice parameters,normalized elastic constants,Cauchy pressure,brittle–ductile relations,heat capacity and Debye temperature are successfully obtained.The Murnaghan equation of state shows that pyrite RuO2 is a potential superhard material.Internal coordinate parameter increases with pressure,which disagrees with experimental data.An analysis based on electronic structure and the pseudogap reveals that the bonding nature in RuO2 is a combination of covalent,ionic and metallic bonding.A study of the elastic properties indicates that the pyrite phase is isotropic under usual conditions.The relationship between brittleness and ductility shows that pyrite RuO2 behaves in a ductile matter at zero pressure and the degree of ductility increases with pressure.This paper calculates the elastic, thermodynamic and electronic properties of pyrite (Pa) RuO2 by the plane-wave pseudopotential density functional theory (DFT) method. The lattice parameters, normalized elastic constants, Cauchy pressure, brittle–ductile relations, heat capacity and Debye temperature are successfully obtained. The Murnaghan equation of state shows that pyrite RuO2 is a potential superhard material. Internal coordinate parameter increases with pressure, which disagrees with experimental data. An analysis based on electronic structure and the pseudogap reveals that the bonding nature in RuO2 is a combination of covalent, ionic and metallic bonding. A study of the elastic properties indicates that the pyrite phase is isotropic under usual conditions. The relationship between brittleness and ductility shows that pyrite RuO2 behaves in a ductile matter at zero pressure and the degree of ductility increases with pressure.

Ground-state energy shifts of H-like Ti under dense and hot plasma conditions

In this study, by adopting the ion sphere model, the self-consistent. field method is used with the Poisson-Boltzmann equation and the Dirac equation to calculate the ground-state energies of H-like Ti at a plasma electron density from 10(22) cm(-3) to 10(24) cm(-3) and the electron temperature from 100 eV to 3600 eV. The ground-state energy shifts of H-like Ti show different trends with the electron density and the electron temperature. It is shown that the energy shifts increase with the increase in the electron density and decrease with the increase in the electron temperature. The energy shifts are sensitive to the electron density, but only sensitive to the low electron temperature. In addition, an accurately fitting formula is obtained to fast estimate the ground-state energies of H-like Ti. Such fitted formula can also be used to estimate the critical electron density of pressure ionization for the ground state of H-like Ti.