LAUSR

Abstract The electronic structures of platinum-group metal pernitrides MN2 (M = Ru, Rh, Ir, and Pt) were investigated via synchrotron radiation infrared spectroscopy and first-principles calculations. Measured reflectance spectra of marcasite-type RuN2 and RhN2 showed Drude-like responses, approaching 1 as the photon energy was decreased, whereas reflectance of arsenopyrite-type IrN2 and pyrite-type PtN2 became ∼0.3 in the low photon energy region with a few features. These findings agreed well with the predictions of the metallic nature of marcasite-type RuN2 and RhN2 and the semiconducting properties of arsenopyrite-type IrN2 and pyrite-type PtN2, respectively. The measured reflectance spectra were also reasonably consistent with the calculated optical responses. The band gaps of IrN2 and PtN2 were estimated to be 0.8 and 2.1 eV, respectively, via first-principles calculation with a modified Becke–Johnson (MBJ) potential for the exchange potential.