Paper detail

Electronic and magnetic properties of new binary uranium-boron compounds with 2D and 3D boron networks: A revisit of the U:B system

Based on crystal chemistry rationale and calculations within the density functional theory DFT, the U:B system is complemented with additional binary compounds UB3, U2B6, and UB6 possessing two-dimensional 2D and 3D boron substructures. Observations are supported quantitatively with the trends of cohesive energies, charge transfers onto the boron sub-lattice and geometry optimized structures. The results point out to a structure crossover from hexagonal (layer B network) to 3D boron network at compositions above UB3 found to be connected with a threshold amount of charge onto boron which is ~0.46. From the energy-volume of states EOS considering spin degenerate and spin-polarized configurations, hexagonal UB3, and cubic UB6 were found in a stable ferromagnetic ground state with 1.47 and 2.40Bohr Magnetons spin-only moments. The volume variations of magnetization show respectively a smooth and abrupt evolution for UB3 and UB6.