Heat capacity of ZnO with cubic structure at high temperatures

The heat capacities at constant pressure and constant volume, and thermal expansivity are calculated for ZnO with rocksalt-type and zinc-blende-type cubic structures over a wide range of temperatures using molecular dynamics simulations with interactions due to effective pair-wise potentials which consist of the Coulomb, dispersion, and repulsion interaction. It is shown that the calculated structural and thermodynamic parameters including lattice constant, thermal-expansion coefficient, isothermal bulk modulus and its pressure derivative at ambient condition are in good agreement with the available experimental data and the latest theoretical results. At extended pressure and temperature ranges, lattice constant and heat capacity have also been predicted. The structural and thermodynamic properties of ZnO with cubic structure are summarized in the 300–1500 K temperature ranges and up to 100 kbar pressure.