First-principle study on the structural, electronic and mechanical properties of High Entropy Alloy TiZrFeRu for hydrogen storage applications

Abstract

High-entropy alloys are promising for hydrogen storage, especially in terms of their tunable hydrogen storage properties. Although several experimental studies, a fundamental and detailed atomistic comprehension of physical and electronic of the hydrogenation process is still lacking. This work investigated the structural, electronic and mechanical properties of TiZrFeRu high-entropy alloys (HEAs) using first-principle calculation. Indeed, we employed both density functional theory and density functional perturbation theory in the calculations with generalized gradient approximation and plane-waves pseudo-potential formalism. In addition, we used Virtual crystal approximation (VCA) to describe HEA as is well suited for predicting elastic properties. We have calculated relevant physical parameters, including lattice constants, elastic constants, elastic modulus, Poisson's ratio, Pugh's ratio, anisotropy factors and Vickers hardness..etc. Our calculated finding show that that TiZrFeRuH2 is mechanically stable and has a good ductility with a Pugh’s ratio (B/G) greater than 1.75. Lastly, we investigated and discussed electronic bandstructure, the total and partial electronic density of state. The results indicate that this compound exhibit a metallic character concentrated in a zone between -5 and 5 eV. The value of the Poisson ration (0.35) confirm again that this compound is metallic (for metal materials the Poisson ratio is above 0.25).