Formation and stability of Rh2Cd5 and its strucural correlation with RhCd and Rh3Cd5−δ (δ ∼ 0.56)

Abstract The formation and the stability of a unique intermetallic phase Rh2Cd5 (2:5) that adopts a defect In3Pd5 structure type, has been addressed on the basis of electronic structure calculation and chemical bonding approach. The crystal structures of three closely related phases {RhCd, Rh2Cd5 and Rh3Cd5−δ (δ ∼ 0.56)} in the Rh–Cd binary system are compared. Electronic structure calculations for all these phases reveal that a state-deficient region or pseudogap is opened up near the Fermi level in the electronic density of states.