AB-INITIO HARTREE-FOCK CALCULATIONS OF CAO, VO, MNO AND NIO

Ab initio Hartree-Fock calculations are reported of the electronic structures of CaO, VO, MnO and NiO. They are found to be essentially ionic in nature with ground states that are insulating, and, in the case of VO, MnO and NiO, high-spin antiferromagnetic. Calculated lattice parameters, binding energies and bulk moduli compare in accuracy with those for closed-shell oxides such as Li2O, MgO and Al2O3. Differences are found in the upper part of the valence band between VO and MnO and NiO. In VO it is predominantly V(3d) in character, whereas in both MnO and NiO it is O(2p). In the case of NiO this seems to be in accord with oxygen K-edge data for LixNi1-xO.