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Article
Validation of Interstitial Iron and Consequences of Nonstoichiometry in Mackinawite (Fe1+xS)
Journal of Physical Chemistry A
  • Jakoah Brgoch, Iowa State University
  • Gordon J. Miller, Iowa State University
Document Type
Article
Publication Version
Published Version
Publication Date
1-1-2012
DOI
10.1021/jp206992z
Abstract

A theoretical investigation of the relationship between chemical composition and electronic structure was performed on the nonstoichiometric iron sulfide, mackinawite (Fe1+xS), which is isostructural and isoelectronic with the superconducting Fe1+xSe and Fe1+x(Te1–ySey) phases. Even though Fe1+xS has not been measured for superconductivity, the effects of stoichiometry on transport properties and electronic structure in all of these iron-excess chalcogenide compounds has been largely overlooked. In mackinawite, the amount of Fe that has been reported ranges from a large excess, Fe1.15S, to nearly stoichiometric, Fe1.00(7)S. Here, we analyze, for the first time, the electronic structure of Fe1+xS to justify these nonstoichiometric phases. First principles electronic structure calculations using supercells of Fe1+xS yield a wide range of energetically favorable compositions (0 < x < 0.30). The incorporation of interstitial Fe atoms originates from a delicate balance between the Madelung energy and the occupation of Fe–S and Fe–Fe antibonding orbitals. A theoretical assessment of various magnetic structures for “FeS” and Fe1.06S indicate that striped magnetic ordering along [110] is the lowest energy structure and the interstitial Fe affects the values of moments in the square planes as a function of distance. Moreover, the formation of the magnetic moment is dependent on the unit cell volume, thus relating it to composition. Finally, changes in the composition cause a modification of the Fermi surface and ultimately the loss of a nested vector.

Comments

Reprinted (adapted) with permission from J. Phys. Chem. A, 2012, 116 (9), pp 2234–2243. Copyright 2012 American Chemical Society.

Copyright Owner
American Chemical Society
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
Jakoah Brgoch and Gordon J. Miller. "Validation of Interstitial Iron and Consequences of Nonstoichiometry in Mackinawite (Fe1+xS)" Journal of Physical Chemistry A Vol. 116 Iss. 9 (2012) p. 2234 - 2243
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/gordon-miller/116/