AgBiS2

matildite · silver bismuth sulfide

AgBiS2 is a semiconducting ternary sulfide compound known for its structural diversity and potential utility in functional material applications.

AgBiS
Crystal structure of AgBiS2 (trigonal, P-3m1 (No. 164))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About matildite

AgBiS2 is a semiconducting ternary sulfide that sits near the thermodynamic hull, indicating it is a stable and synthesizable material. Its unique combination of silver, bismuth, and sulfur makes it a subject of significant interest in materials science due to its complex structural landscape.

With numerous reported structures across major databases, this compound serves as a versatile platform for exploring electronic and structural transitions. Its semiconducting nature positions it as a candidate for specialized functional applications where precise control over electronic properties is required.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for matildite, aggregated across 5 databases.

Band Gap

0.03–1.10 eV
Range across DFT structures · ground state: narrow gap

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Stable
3 DFT sources

Structures

27
5 databases, 6 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of AgBiS2. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.

Agreement Score

0.93 / 1.00
Trust tier: high

Hull Spread

0.017 eV
EAH spread across sources

Sources Compared

3
jarvis, materials_project, oqmd

Space Group Consensus

Mixed (most: P-3m1 (No. 164))
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for AgBiS2, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
R-3m (No. 166)trigonal0.560.0000-0.313—
R-3m (No. 166)trigonal0.530.0022-0.311—
R-3m (No. 166)trigonal0.490.0023-0.311—
——0.630.0165-0.378—
P-3m1 (No. 164)trigonal0.490.0168-24.2737.00
——0.550.0168-0.377—
——1.100.0171-0.377—
R-3m (No. 166)trigonal0.490.0189-24.2716.99
I41/amd (No. 141)tetragonal0.260.0296-0.284—
Cc (No. 9)monoclinic0.320.0468-24.2446.93
I41/amd (No. 141)tetragonal0.230.0473-24.2436.94
P4mm (No. 99)tetragonal0.030.0770-0.236—
Synthesis

Synthesis Routes

Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting AgBiS2.

Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Uses

Applications

Where matildite is used.

thermoelectric materials researchphotovoltaic device developmentsemiconductor physics studies
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about matildite, answered from cross-validated data.

What is AgBiS2?

AgBiS2 is a semiconducting ternary sulfide compound known for its structural diversity and potential utility in functional material applications.

More questions
What is AgBiS2 used for?
matildite (AgBiS2) is used in thermoelectric materials research, photovoltaic device development, and semiconductor physics studies.
What is the band gap of AgBiS2?
matildite (AgBiS2) has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.03–1.10 eV across 27 reported structures. Standard DFT underestimates band gaps, so the measured gap is typically larger.
Is AgBiS2 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
DFT predicts a band gap of up to 1.10 eV (a semiconductor). Measured gaps are typically larger.
Is AgBiS2 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — matildite (AgBiS2) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. stable.
What is the crystal structure of AgBiS2?
The reference structure of matildite (AgBiS2) is trigonal symmetry, space group P-3m1 (No. 164).
What is the density of AgBiS2?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of matildite (AgBiS2) is 7.00 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of AgBiS2 are known?
27 structures of AgBiS2 are reported across 5 databases, spanning 6 distinct space groups.
How is AgBiS2 synthesized?
Literature-reported routes for AgBiS2 include solid state.
What elements does AgBiS2 contain?
matildite (AgBiS2) contains Ag, Bi, and S (3 elements).
Where does the data for AgBiS2 come from?
AgBiS2 data is cross-referenced from jarvis, oqmd, materials_project, mpaloe, cod.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a ternary sulfide, AgBiS2 occupies a distinct niche in materials science, serving as a foundational example of how silver and bismuth can be integrated into a stable chalcogenide framework to achieve semiconducting behavior.

Data sources & attribution
  • jarvis — Data from JARVIS (jarvis.nist.gov), NIST. Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020). (LicenseRef-US-Gov-PD)
  • oqmd — Data from the OQMD (oqmd.org). Cite: Saal et al., JOM 65, 1501 (2013); Kirklin et al., npj Comp. Mater. 1, 15010 (2015). (CC-BY-4.0)
  • materials_project — Data from the Materials Project (materialsproject.org). Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013). (CC-BY-4.0)
  • mpaloe — Data from MP-ALOE. Cite: Kuner et al., npj Comput. Mater. (2025), doi:10.1038/s41524-025-01834-9.
  • cod — Data from the Crystallography Open Database (crystallography.net/cod/). Cite: Grazulis et al., J. Appl. Cryst. 42, 726 (2009). (CC0-1.0)

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