Full intermetallic compound (IMC) solder joints present fascinating advantages in high-temperature applications. In this study, the mechanical properties and elastic anisotropy of η’-Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn intermetallic compounds were investigated using first-principles calculations. The values of single-crystal elastic constants, the elastic (E), shear (G), and bulk (B) moduli, and Poisson’s ratio (ν) were identified. In addition, the two values of G/B and ν indicated that the two IMCs were ductile materials. The elastic anisotropy of η’-Cu6Sn5 was found to be higher than Cu3Sn by calculating the universal anisotropic index. Furthermore, an interesting discovery was that the above two types of monocrystalline IMC exhibited mechanical anisotropic behavior. Specifically, the anisotropic degree of E and B complied with the following relationship: η’-Cu6Sn5 > Cu3Sn; however, the relationship was Cu3Sn > η’-Cu6Sn5 for the G. It is noted that the anisotropic degree of E and G was similar for the two IMCs. In addition, the anisotropy of the B was higher than the G and E, respectively, for η’-Cu6Sn5; however, in the case of Cu3Sn, the anisotropic degree of B, G, and E was similar.

For the purpose of exploring the application of two-dimensional (2D) material in the field of gas sensors, the adsorption properties of gas molecules, CO, CO₂, CH₂O, O₂, NO₂, and SO2 on the surface of monolayered tin selenium in β phase (β-SnSe) has been researched by first principles calculation based on density functional theory (DFT). The results indicate that β-SnSe sheet presents weak physisorption for CO and CO₂ molecules with small adsorption energy and charge transfers, which show that a β-SnSe sheet is not suitable for sensing CO and CO₂. The adsorption behavior of CH₂O molecules adsorbed on a β-SnSe monolayer is stronger than that of CO and CO₂, revealing that the β-SnSe layer can be applied to detect CH₂O as physical sensor. Additionally, O₂, NO₂, and SO₂ are chemically adsorbed on a β-SnSe monolayer with moderate adsorption energy and considerable charge transfers. All related calculations reveal that β-SnSe has a potential application in detecting and catalyzing O₂, NO₂, and SO₂ molecules.