Study of Electron State in Vanadium Nitride by Intensity Measurements of X-Ray Diffraction

Abstract

Precise relative measurement were carried out on a powder of almost stoichiometric VN. The observed values for crystal structure factors were compared with the theoretical ones calculated from atomic scattering factors. These factors are available only for V⁰, V⁺¹, V⁺², V⁺³, N⁰ and N⁻¹, while reasonable analytical expressions were assumed for ions N⁻² and N⁻³ stabilized only in a crystalline state. The agreement was found to be far better in V⁺²N⁻² and V⁺³N⁻³ than in V⁰N⁰ and V⁺¹N⁻¹. Slight significant deviation due to a non-spherical electron distribution seems to be found, and there for it was concluded that the covalent bonding might exist to a small extent. In spite of various restrictions inherent to the present method, it is at least obvious that nitrogen atoms are electron acceptors.