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Density functional calculations of the electronic structure are used to elucidate the bonding of Li$_3$AlH$_6$. It is found that this material is best described as ionic, and in particular that the [AlH$_6$]$^{3-}$ units are not reasonably…
The binding energy of A3C60, a conductor, is described well by an ionic solid type calculation. This succeeds because there is little overlap between molecular wave functions on neighbouring sites, so that electrons are practically…
Solid-state lithium batteries have attracted considerable attention due to their potential to provide improved safety and higher energy density compared with conventional liquid electrolyte batteries. However, the stability of the interface…
Aluminum hydride (alane) AlH_3 is an important material in hydrogen storage applications. It is known that AlH_3 exists in multiply forms of polymorphs, where $\alpha$-AlH_3 is found to be the most stable with a hexagonal structure. Recent…
Density functional calculations of the electronic structure of the complex hydride NaAlH4 and the reference systems NaH and AlH3 are reported. We find a substantially ionic electronic structure for NaAlH4, which emphasizes the importance of…
We present a systematic study of the geometries, energetics, electronic structure and bonding in various Al-Li clusters viz. AlnLin ($n$=1-11), Al$_2^-$, Al$_2^{2-}$, Al$_2$Li, Al$_2$Li$^-$, and Al6Li8 using Born-Oppenheimer molecular…
The stability and bonding of the ternary complex K$_2$PtCl$_6$ structure hydrides is discussed using first principles density functional calculations. The cohesion is dominated by ionic contributions, but ligand field effects are important,…
The electronic structure of UPd_2Al_3 is described using the self-interaction corrected local-spin-density approximation to density functional theory. The groundstate is found to be characterized by the coexistence of localized (f^2) and…
We present results of electronic structure calculations for aluminium contacts of atomic size, based on density functional theory and the local density approximation. Addressing the atomic orbitals at the neck of the nanocontact, we find…
We theoretically study the effect of electron-electron interactions in one-dimensional partially mixed helical states. These helical states can be realized at the edges of two-dimensional topological insulators with partially broken…
Large electron-electron Coulomb-interactions in correlated systems can lead to a periodic arrangement of localized electrons, the so called "charge-order". The latter is here proposed as a driving force behind ferroelectricity in iron…
Energy storage technologies that can meet the unprecedented demands of a sustainable energy system based on intermittent energy sources require new battery materials. We investigate high ionic conductors, Li$_3$ClO glasses. In the present…
We first argue that the covalent bond and the various closed-shell interactions can be thought of as symmetry broken versions of one and the same interaction, viz., the multi-center bond. We use specially chosen molecular units to show that…
We investigate some surfaces of a paradigmatic sp bonded metal--namely, Al(110), Al(100), and Al(111)--by means of the "electron localization function" (ELF), implemented in a first-principle pseudopotential framework. ELF is a ground-state…
Lithium halides with the general formula Li$_x$M$_y$X$_6$, where M indicates transition metal ions and X halide anions are very actively studied as solid-state electrolytes, because of relatively low cost, high stability and Li…
The 3D ternary Li$_2$GeO$_3$ compound, which could serve as the electrolyte material in Li+-based batteries, exhibits an unusual lattice symmetry (orthorhombic crystal), band structure, charge density distribution and density of states. The…
The crystal structure, mechanical properties and electronic structure of ground state BeH$_{2}$ are calculated employing the first-principles methods based on the density functional theory. Our calculated structural parameters at…
The electronic structure of the nanolaminated transition metal carbide Ti2AlC has been investigated by bulk-sensitive soft x-ray emission spectroscopy. The measured Ti L, C K and Al L emission spectra are compared with calculated spectra…
Ionic liquids (ILs) feature a tailorable and wide range of structural, chemical and electronic properties that make this class of materials suitable to a broad variety of forefront applications in next-generation electronics. Yet, their…
The electronic structure of the corundum-type transition-metal oxides V2O3 and Ti2O3 is studied by means of the augmented spherical wave method, based on density-functional theory and the local density approximation. Comparing the results…