AlO2

AlO2 is a semiconducting aluminum oxide compound categorized within the spinel-related catalyst class that exhibits significant thermodynamic instability.

AlO
Crystal structure of AlO2 (orthorhombic, Pnma (No. 62))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About AlO2

AlO2 is a semiconducting oxide that exists as a complex member of the spinel-related catalyst family. Despite its classification, it is characterized by thermodynamic instability, typically appearing above the hull in computational phase diagrams. This suggests that while it is a subject of significant structural interest, it may be difficult to synthesize or maintain in a stable crystalline form under standard conditions.

Its presence in extensive structural databases highlights its role in theoretical investigations of aluminum-oxygen systems. Researchers study this compound to understand the limits of spinel-type architectures and the electronic behavior of non-stoichiometric aluminum oxides in catalytic environments.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for AlO2, aggregated across 5 databases.

Band Gap

0.14–1.08 eV
Range across DFT structures · ground state: small gap

Energy Above Hull

0.184 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Unstable
3 DFT sources

Structures

466
5 databases, 45 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of AlO2. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.

Agreement Score

0.41 / 1.00
Trust tier: low

Hull Spread

0.149 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 AlO2, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
Pnnm (No. 58)orthorhombic0.290.1842-7.2183.62
Pnma (No. 62)orthorhombic0.140.2291-7.1742.99
Pnnm (No. 58)orthorhombic0.270.2647-2.498—
Cmcm (No. 63)orthorhombic0.000.2953-7.1073.34
——0.000.3327-2.388—
Cmcm (No. 63)orthorhombic0.000.3559-7.0473.19
Cmcm (No. 63)orthorhombic0.000.3977-2.365—
Pnma (No. 62)orthorhombic1.080.4353-6.9672.95
——0.000.4627-2.258—
——0.000.5527-2.168—
P2/m (No. 10)monoclinic0.001.0631-1.700—
P6/mmm (No. 191)hexagonal0.001.8048-0.958—
Synthesis

Synthesis Routes

Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting AlO2.

Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Uses

Applications

Where AlO2 is used.

Theoretical catalytic researchFundamental materials science studies
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about AlO2, answered from cross-validated data.

What is AlO2?

AlO2 is a semiconducting aluminum oxide compound categorized within the spinel-related catalyst class that exhibits significant thermodynamic instability.

More questions
What is AlO2 used for?
AlO2 is used in theoretical catalytic research and fundamental materials science studies.
What is the band gap of AlO2?
AlO2 has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.14–1.08 eV across 466 reported structures. Standard DFT underestimates band gaps, so the measured gap is typically larger.
Is AlO2 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
DFT predicts a band gap of up to 1.08 eV (a semiconductor). Measured gaps are typically larger.
Is AlO2 thermodynamically stable?
AlO2 has a lowest energy above hull of 0.184 eV/atom (unstable).
What is the crystal structure of AlO2?
The reference structure of AlO2 is orthorhombic symmetry, space group Pnma (No. 62).
What is the density of AlO2?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of AlO2 is 2.99 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of AlO2 are known?
466 structures of AlO2 are reported across 5 databases, spanning 45 distinct space groups.
How is AlO2 synthesized?
Literature-reported routes for AlO2 include solid state.
What elements does AlO2 contain?
AlO2 contains Al and O (2 elements).
Where does the data for AlO2 come from?
AlO2 data is cross-referenced from materials_project, jarvis, oqmd, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

Unlike the highly stable and widely utilized MgAl2O4 or the robust binary oxides like Al2O3, AlO2 is notably less thermodynamically favorable. While members such as LaMnO3 and LaNiO3 are prized for their predictable catalytic performance in complex oxide systems, AlO2 remains a more elusive and theoretically challenging material within the broader class of spinel-related oxides.

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)
  • 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)
  • mpaloe — Data from MP-ALOE. Cite: Kuner et al., npj Comput. Mater. (2025), doi:10.1038/s41524-025-01834-9.

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