Thermodynamic properties of magnesium oxide: a comparison of ab initio and empirical models

The pressure-volume equation of state (P-V EOS) and isothermal bulk modulus, the volume-temperature (V-T) EOS and thermal expansivity are investigated for magnesium oxide (MgO) by using ab initio density functional theory (DFT) calculations combined with the quasi-harmonic Debye (QHD) model in which the phononic effects are considered and isothermal-isobaric ensemble molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with different effective pair-wise potentials that consist of the Coulomb, dispersion and repulsion interactions. Polarization and compression effects are considered in MD simulations through the shell model (SM) and breathing shell model (BSM), respectively. The P-V relationship and isothermal bulk modulus K of the MgO dependence of pressures up to 200 GPa at 300 K and the V-T relationship and volume thermal expansion coefficient alpha of the MgO dependence of temperatures up to 3000 K at 0.1 MPa have been obtained from MD and DFT calculations and compared with the available experimental data and other theoretical results. Particular attention is paid to the prediction of the first and second pressure derivatives K' and K '' of the isothermal bulk modulus of MgO at a given temperature and pressure for the first time. Compared with the SM potential, MD simulations with the BSM and QHD models are highly successful in accurately reproducing the measured volumes of MgO. At extended pressure and temperature ranges, K, K', K '', alpha and P-V-T EOS have also been predicted. Detailed knowledge of the thermodynamic behavior in extreme conditions is of fundamental importance for understanding the physical properties of MgO.