Ab initio total energy calculation of the dynamical stability of noble metal carbides

Abstract

The structural, electronic, vibrational and thermodynamical properties of transition metal carbides RuC, RhC, PdC and AgC are investigated using the plane-wave pseudopotentials method within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) in the frame of density functional theory (DFT). There is a good agreement between present theoretical and available experimental theoretical data in the case of ground state properties such as lattice parameter and bulk modulus. The electronic band structure of these compounds show that all compounds except RuC in zinc blende phase are metallic in nature. RuC in zinc blende phase is semiconducting in nature with an indirect band gap. The phonon properties of RhC, PdC and AgC are investigated for the first time. The phonon frequencies in the phonon dispersion curves are positive throughout the Brillouin zone for zinc blende RuC and AgC and rocksalt RhC and PdC indicating dynamical stability for these compounds in the said phases. Temperature variation of thermodynamical properties for noble metal carbides are calculated and discussed.