First-principles investigation of boron defects in nickel ferrite spinel

• Under solid-solid equilibrium, it is unlikely that B is incorporated into nickel ferrite structure.
• Incorporation of B is limited by the narrow stability domain of nickel ferrite.
• Formation of B-defects is limited by precipitation of Ni–Fe–B–O competing phases.

The accumulation of boron within the porous nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4, NFO) deposited on nuclear reactor fuel rods is a major technological problem with important safety and economical implications. In this work, the electronic structure of nickel ferrite spinel has been investigated using first-principles methods, and the theoretical results have been combined with experimental data to analyze B incorporation into the spinel structure of NFO. Under thermodynamic solid–solid equilibrium between NFO and atomic reservoirs of Ni and Fe, our calculations predict that the incorporation of B into the NFO structure is unfavorable. The main factors that limit B incorporation are the narrow stability domain of NFO and the precipitation of B2O3, Fe3BO5, and Ni3B2O6 compounds as secondary phases. The B incorporation energies depend sensitively on the electron chemical potential (EF  ) and the charge state of the defect. In n-type NFO, the most stable defect is the Ni vacancy VNi2- while in p-type material lowest the formation energy belongs to the interstitial B occupying a tetrahedrally coordinated site BT2+. Because of these limiting conditions it is more thermodynamically favorable for B to form secondary phases with Fe, Ni and O (e.g. B2O3, Fe3BO5, and Ni3B2O6) than it is to form point defects in NFO.