Electronic and thermodynamic properties of ReB2 under high pressure and temperature

First-principles calculations of the crystal structures of rhenium diboride (ReB2) have been carried out with the plane-wave pseudopotential density functional theory method. The calculated values are in very good agreement with experimental data as well as with some of the existing model calculations. The quasi-harmonic Debye model, using a set of total energy versus molar volume obtained with the first-principles calculations, is applied to the study of the thermal and vibrational effects. The structural parameters, thermal expansions, heat capacities, Gruneisen parameters and Debye temperatures dependence on the temperature and pressure are obtained in the whole pressure range from 0 to 70 GPa and temperature range from 0 to 2000 K as well as compared with available data. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.