Boron-rich chalcogenides
have been predicted to have excellent
properties for optical and mechanical applications in recent times.
In this regard, we report the electronic, optical, and mechanical
properties of recently synthesized boron-rich chalcogenide compounds
B
12
X (X = S and Se) using density functional theory for
the first time. The effects of exchange and correlation functionals
on these properties are also investigated. The consistency of the
obtained crystal structure with the reported experimental results
has been checked in terms of lattice parameters. The considered materials
are mechanically stable, brittle, and elastically anisotropic. Furthermore,
the elastic moduli and hardness parameters are calculated, which show
that B
12
S can be treated as a prominent member of the hard
materials family compared to B
12
Se. The origin of differences
in hardness is explained on the basis of density of states near the
Fermi level. Reasonably good values of fracture toughness and the
machinability index for B
12
X (X = S and Se) are reported.
The melting point,
T
m
, for the B
12
S and B
12
Se compounds suggests that both solids are stable,
at least up to 4208 and 3577 K, respectively. Indirect band gaps of
B
12
S (2.27 eV) and B
12
Se (1.30 eV) are obtained
using the HSE06 functional. The energy gaps using local density approximation
(LDA) and generalized gradient approximation (GGA) are found to be
significantly lower. The electrons of the B
12
Se compound
show a lighter average effective mass than that of the B
12
S compound, which signifies a higher mobility of charge carriers
in B
12
Se. The optical properties such as the dielectric
function, refractive index, absorption coefficient, reflectivity,
and loss function are characterized using GGA-PBE and HSE06 methods
and discussed in detail. These compounds possess bulk optical anisotropy,
and excellent absorption coefficients in the visible-light region
along with very low static values of reflectivity spectra (range of
7.42–14.0% using both functionals) are noted. Such useful features
of the compounds under investigation show promise for applications
in optoelectronic and mechanical sectors.