Amount of valence charge of Al- and Zn-based quasicrystals and related approximant crystals evaluated by chemical shift observations and Bader analysis

The amounts of decreased charge at Al sites of Al-based (Al–Pd–Cr–Fe, Al–Si–Mn, and Al–Re–Si) and at Zn sites of Zn-based (Zn–Mg–Zr) quasicrystals and approximant crystals were estimated. The evaluation was done by comparisons between chemical shifts experimentally observed by soft-X-ray emission spectroscopy and the amount of valence charge obtained by Bader analysis for first principle calculations of reference materials (Al, α-Al₂O₃, Zn, and ZnO). Decreased charges at Al sites of Al-based quasicrystals and at Zn sites of Zn-based quasicrystals were evaluated to be 1.0–2.5 e^–/atom and 1.1–1.2 e^–/atom, respectively. A covalent bonding nature alloy of Al–Re–Si also showed a decrease in valence charge at Al sites.