Peierls-like distortion drives anion ordering in rutile TiOF

We use first principles density functional theory calculations to examine the effect of multiple anions on the Peierls distortion in the rutile oxyfluoride TiOF. By using a structure enumeration approach, we obtain the ground state atomic structure for TiOF and identify the driving forces behind the experimentally observed two-dimensional anion ordering along rutile (110) planes. We find that adjacent edge-connected octahedra comprise like atoms with an –O-O/F-F/O-O/F-F– pattern along the rutile [001] direction. This anion pattern coexists with a Peierls-like distortion leading to the formation of a singlet state between neighboring Ti^3+ cations. We show that the anion ordering arises from competition between electrostatic interactions, owing to the Ti-F cation-anion pairs, and the tendency of the d^1 Ti^3+ cation to form Ti-Ti dimers, characterized by increased metal-metal bonding. We find that the addition of strong on-site Coulombic interactions to the Ti d manifold suppresses the formation of the singlet state. By increasing the correlation strength, we uncover two first-order phase transitions: first, from a nonmagnetic insulator to a ferromagnetic half-metal, and then second to a ferromagnetic insulator. Last, we show that the electronic configuration of the transition metal cation in rutile oxyfluorides is responsible for the observed anion order, enabling design of ordered heteroanionic materials exhibiting collective phenomena through cation sublattice control.