AlNi3

AlNi3 is a stable metallic intermetallic compound formed from aluminum and nickel.

AlNi
Crystal structure of AlNi3 (cubic, Pm-3m (No. 221))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About AlNi3

AlNi3 is a metallic intermetallic compound composed of aluminum and nickel. As a thermodynamically stable phase located on the convex hull, it represents a robust structural configuration that maintains its integrity under standard conditions. Its metallic nature is defined by the absence of a band gap, facilitating efficient electron transport characteristic of such intermetallic systems. This compound is of significant interest in materials science due to its structural stability and the well-documented nature of its atomic arrangements. With numerous reported structures across multiple databases, it serves as a foundational reference point for understanding the phase behavior and bonding characteristics of aluminum-nickel systems.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for AlNi3, aggregated across 5 databases.

Band Gap

Metallic / not reported

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Stable
4 DFT sources

Structures

31
5 databases, 4 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of AlNi3. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.

Agreement Score

1.00 / 1.00
Trust tier: high

Hull Spread

0.000 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 AlNi3, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
Pm-3m (No. 221)cubic0.000.0000-11.0967.71
——0.000.0000-0.439—
Pm-3m (No. 221)cubic0.000.0000-0.447—
——0.000.0062-0.432—
Pm-3m (No. 221)cubic0.000.0086-0.439—
Pm-3m (No. 221)cubic0.000.0087-0.438—
Pm-3m (No. 221)cubic0.000.0087-0.438—
Pm-3m (No. 221)cubic0.000.0087-0.438—
——0.000.0097-0.429—
P63/mmc (No. 194)hexagonal0.000.0163-0.431—
P63/mmc (No. 194)hexagonal0.000.0212-11.0757.68
——0.000.0269-0.412—
Synthesis

Synthesis Routes

Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting AlNi3.

Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Uses

Applications

Where AlNi3 is used.

High-temperature structural alloysCatalysis researchMaterials science phase studies
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about AlNi3, answered from cross-validated data.

What is AlNi3?

AlNi3 is a stable metallic intermetallic compound formed from aluminum and nickel.

More questions
What is AlNi3 used for?
AlNi3 is used in high-temperature structural alloys, catalysis research, and materials science phase studies.
What is the band gap of AlNi3?
The reported DFT structures of AlNi3 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 AlNi3 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 AlNi3 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — AlNi3 sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. stable.
What is the crystal structure of AlNi3?
The reference structure of AlNi3 is cubic symmetry, space group Pm-3m (No. 221).
What is the density of AlNi3?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of AlNi3 is 7.71 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of AlNi3 are known?
31 structures of AlNi3 are reported across 5 databases, spanning 4 distinct space groups.
How is AlNi3 synthesized?
Literature-reported routes for AlNi3 include solid state (10 procedures documented).
What elements does AlNi3 contain?
AlNi3 contains Al and Ni (2 elements).
Where does the data for AlNi3 come from?
AlNi3 data is cross-referenced from materials_project, oqmd, jarvis, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a thermodynamically stable intermetallic, AlNi3 occupies a central role in the study of aluminum-nickel phases. It serves as a benchmark for stability within its binary system, providing critical insights into the formation and persistence of ordered intermetallic structures.

Data sources & attribution
  • materials_project — Data from the Materials Project (materialsproject.org). Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013). (CC-BY-4.0)
  • 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)
  • jarvis — Data from JARVIS (jarvis.nist.gov), NIST. Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020). (LicenseRef-US-Gov-PD)
  • mpaloe — Data from MP-ALOE. Cite: Kuner et al., npj Comput. Mater. (2025), doi:10.1038/s41524-025-01834-9.

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