AlCr2

AlCr2 is a metallic aluminum-chromium intermetallic compound that is frequently studied for its complex structural properties despite being thermodynamically unstable.

AlCr
Crystal structure of AlCr2 (tetragonal, I4/mmm (No. 139))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About AlCr2

AlCr2 is a metallic intermetallic compound composed of aluminum and chromium. Its electronic profile is defined by its metallic nature, lacking a band gap, which makes it a subject of interest for fundamental studies in alloy behavior and electron transport properties.

Despite its status as a thermodynamically unstable phase situated above the hull, this compound is notable for its significant data richness. It has been extensively documented across numerous structural databases, reflecting its importance in understanding the diverse phase space of aluminum-chromium systems.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for AlCr2, aggregated across 5 databases.

Band Gap

Metallic / not reported

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Stable
3 DFT sources

Structures

129
5 databases, 20 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of AlCr2. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.

Agreement Score

0.58 / 1.00
Trust tier: low

Hull Spread

0.105 eV
EAH spread across sources

Sources Compared

3
jarvis, materials_project, oqmd

Space Group Consensus

All match
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for AlCr2, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
I4/mmm (No. 139)tetragonal0.000.0000-0.128—
——0.000.0000-0.137—
I4/mmm (No. 139)tetragonal0.000.1048-12.2585.87
Fmmm (No. 69)orthorhombic0.000.1423-12.2205.73
——0.000.14470.008—
——0.000.18990.053—
——0.000.19320.056—
——0.000.20540.068—
——0.000.20740.070—
——0.000.21510.078—
——0.000.21510.078—
——0.000.28110.144—
Synthesis

Synthesis Routes

Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting AlCr2.

Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Uses

Applications

Where AlCr2 is used.

Materials science researchAlloy phase stability studiesFundamental electronic property investigation
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about AlCr2, answered from cross-validated data.

What is AlCr2?

AlCr2 is a metallic aluminum-chromium intermetallic compound that is frequently studied for its complex structural properties despite being thermodynamically unstable.

More questions
What is AlCr2 used for?
AlCr2 is used in materials science research, alloy phase stability studies, and fundamental electronic property investigation.
What is the band gap of AlCr2?
The reported DFT structures of AlCr2 show no band gap. Standard DFT often misses gaps (especially in transition-metal oxides), so this is not proof the real material is a metal.
Is AlCr2 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
DFT calculations predict no band gap. Standard DFT can miss gaps, so measurements are needed to confirm metallic behavior.
Is AlCr2 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — AlCr2 sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. stable.
What is the crystal structure of AlCr2?
The reference structure of AlCr2 is tetragonal symmetry, space group I4/mmm (No. 139).
How many polymorphs of AlCr2 are known?
129 structures of AlCr2 are reported across 5 databases, spanning 20 distinct space groups.
How is AlCr2 synthesized?
Literature-reported routes for AlCr2 include sol gel, solid state (3 procedures documented).
What elements does AlCr2 contain?
AlCr2 contains Al and Cr (2 elements).
Where does the data for AlCr2 come from?
AlCr2 data is cross-referenced from jarvis, oqmd, materials_project, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a member of the aluminum-chromium binary system, AlCr2 represents a specific structural configuration that highlights the complexity of transition metal aluminides. While it does not share the stability of more common stoichiometric phases, its existence across many reported structures underscores its role as a critical data point for researchers mapping the stability limits of metallic alloys.

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.

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