Thermodynamics and electronic structure characteristics of MFe2O4 with different spinel structures: A first-principles study

Abstract

In recent years, spinel ferrites with chemical formula MFe2O4, have attracted much attention due to their impressive photocatalytic and electrocatalytic performances, which are significantly influenced by their spinel structures. However, it is still a big challenge to distinguish or predict spinel structures for spinel ferrites. As an attempt to address this issue, this paper presents a first-principles study of the thermodynamics and electronic structures for six spinel ferrites with different spinel structures. The configurational free energy of these spinel ferrites at different inversion degrees is calculated to determine the equilibrium inversion degree for each spinel, which successfully predicts the spinel structure type of these spinel ferrites. The partial density of states is obtained for six spinel ferrites assuming they are normal or inverse spinels. The electronic states close to the Fermi energy of each spinel ferrite are carefully examined, showing that normal spinels have weak interactions between M and Fe states, while strong interactions exist in mixed or inverse spinels. Our results offer an insightful understanding of different spinel structures, and provide a reliable approach to determine the spinel structure of spinel ferrites.