Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 19, 2026

Fabrication of Low Temperature Carbon Nanotube Vertical Interconnects Compatible with Semiconductor Technology
Published on: December 7, 2015
Investigating topological indices and entropy measures for titanium diboride network.
Rimsha Saher1, Hani Shaker1, Imran Zulfiqar Cheema1
1Department of Mathematics, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, Lahore, Pakistan.
We computationally analyzed titanium diboride's crystal structure using graph theory. This reveals how network connectivity influences material properties, differentiating stable from variable regions.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Computational Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Titanium diboride (TiB2) is a high-performance ceramic with exceptional hardness, wear resistance, and electrical conductivity.
- It finds critical applications in aerospace, defense, and high-temperature material sectors.
- Understanding its structural properties is key to optimizing its performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To computationally analyze the structural properties of titanium diboride using graph-theoretical indices.
- To investigate the impact of network size on the complexity and diversity of TiB2's crystal lattice.
- To establish a quantitative framework for interpreting TiB2's structural features.
Main Methods:
- Modeling the crystal lattice of titanium diboride as a molecular graph.
- Utilizing graph-theoretical indices for connectivity and information content analysis.
- Employing entropy-based descriptors to quantify disorder, uniformity, and coordination within the lattice.
- Developing Python algorithms for automated, real-time, and reproducible computation of structural properties.
Main Results:
- Clear trends were identified, distinguishing highly variable structural regions from more repetitive and stable ones.
- The study demonstrated the significant contribution of network connectivity to the macroscopic behavior of titanium diboride.
- Computational analysis revealed how network size influences structural complexity and diversity.
Conclusions:
- The developed computational methodology provides a quantitative basis for understanding titanium diboride's structural characteristics.
- This approach offers a reproducible and scalable method for analyzing materials at the atomic level.
- The findings can be extended to study other materials in materials science and nanotechnology.
Related Concept Videos
Network Covalent Solids
To break or to melt a covalent network solid, covalent bonds must be broken. Because covalent bonds are relatively strong, covalent network solids are typically...
Third Law of Thermodynamics
Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics
The relation between entropy and disorder can be illustrated with the example of the phase change of ice to water. In ice, the molecules are located at specific sites giving a solid state, whereas, in a liquid form, these molecules are much freer to move. The molecular arrangement has therefore become more randomized. Although the change in average...
Trends in Lattice Energy: Ion Size and Charge
Crystal Field Theory - Tetrahedral and Square Planar Complexes
Crystal field theory (CFT) is applicable to molecules in geometries other than octahedral. In octahedral complexes, the lobes of the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals point directly at the ligands. For tetrahedral complexes, the d orbitals remain in place, but with only four ligands located between the axes. None of the orbitals points directly at the tetrahedral ligands. However, the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals (along the Cartesian axes) overlap with the ligands less than the dxy,...
The Entropy as a State Function

