Related papers: Phase stability, chemical bonding and mechanical p…
The phase diagram and equation of state of dense nitrogen are of interest in understanding the fundamental physics and chemistry under extreme conditions, including planetary processes, and in discovering new materials. We predict several…
We study a newly predicted layered-ternary compound Ti4SiN3 in its {\alpha}- and {\beta}-phases. We calculate their mechanical, electronic and optical properties and then compare these with those of other compounds M4AX3 (M = V, Ti, Ta; A =…
The search for ultra hard materials is inevitable in high pressure device applications. Nitrides of group-14 elements have been foreseen as potential candidates in replacing existing hard materials. In a recent experiment, pyrite structures…
Nitriding introduces nitrides into the surface of steels, significantly enhancing the surface me-chanical properties. By combining the variable composition evolutionary algorithm and first-principles calculations based on density functional…
The structural, elastic and electronic properties of two-dimensional (2D) titanium carbide/nitride based pristine (Tin+1Cn/Tin+1Nn) and functionalized MXenes (Tin+1CnT2/Tin+1NnT2, T stands for the terminal groups: -F, -O and -OH, n = 1, 2,…
The thermodynamic stabilities of various phases of the nitrides of the platinum metal elements are systematically studied using density functional theory. It is shown that for the nitrides of Rh, Pd, Ir and Pt two new crystal structures, in…
Recent experiments showed the distinct observations on the transition metal ditelluride NiTe$_2$ under pressure: one reported a superconducting phase transition at 12 GPa, whereas another observed a sign reversal of Hall resistivity at 16…
Ternary hydrides have emerged as the primary focus of the new wave of research into superconducting hydrides. In this work, Mg-Ti-H ternary hydrides are explored under high pressures up to 300 GPa using the prediction method of the particle…
With the motivation of discovering high-temperature superconductors, evolutionary algorithm is employed to search for all stable compounds in the Sn-H system. In addition to the traditional SnH$_4$, new hydrides SnH$_8$, SnH$_{12}$ and…
3D titanium carbonitrides TiCxNy possess excellent physical, chemical, and mechanical properties, attractive for various industrial applications. Most recently, the uncommon nano-sized layers of 2D-like titanium carbonitrides were…
First-principles crystal structure search is performed to predict novel rubidium poly-nitrogen materials at high pressure by varying the stoichiometry, i. e. relative quantities of the constituent rubidium and nitrogen atoms. Three…
We have performed systematic first-principles calculations on di-carbide, -nitride, -oxide and -boride of platinum and osmium with the fluorite structure. It is found that only PtN$_{2}$, OsN$_{2}$ and OsO$_{2}$ are mechanically stable. In…
Transition metal nitrides have been suggested to have both high hardness and good thermal stability with large potential application value, but so far stable superhard transition metal nitrides have not been synthesized. Here, with our…
The pressure-induced transformation of diatomic nitrogen into non-molecular polymeric phases may produce potentially useful high-energy-density materials. We combine first-principles calculations with structure searching to predict a new…
Ab initio-calculated ideal strength and toughness describe the upper limits for mechanical properties attainable in real systems and can, therefore, be used in selection criteria for materials design. We employ density-functional ab initio…
Using density functional theory calculations, many researchers have predicted that various tungsten-nitride compounds WN$_x$ ($x$ > 1) will be "ultra-compressible" or "superhard", $i.e.$ as hard as or harder than diamond. These compounds…
Although transition-metal nitrides have been widely applied for several decades, experimental investigations of their high-resolution electronic band structures are rare due to the lack of high-quality single-crystalline samples. Here, we…
Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) usually show simple structures, however, with interesting properties. Recently some TMDs have been pointed out as type-II Dirac semimetals. In the present work, we investigate the physical properties…
Transition metal oxides are considered promising thermoelectric materials for harvesting high-temperature waste heat due to their stability, abundance and low toxicity. Despite their typically strong ionic character, they can exhibit…
Uranium nitrides have been the subject of intense research owing to their potential applications as advanced nuclear fuels. However, the phase diagram of the U-N system at low temperature and high pressure still remains unclear. In this…