Au4K4Se20
Au4K4Se20 is a semiconducting gold-potassium selenide known for its complex structure and metastable nature.

About Au4K4Se20
Au4K4Se20 is a complex ternary chalcogenide composed of gold, potassium, and selenium. As a semiconducting material, it represents a specialized class of compounds that bridge the gap between traditional metallic conductors and insulating salts, offering unique electronic properties derived from its intricate atomic arrangement.
Due to its position above the thermodynamic hull, this compound is considered metastable, making it a subject of significant interest for researchers studying synthetic pathways and structural stability. Its existence across multiple databases highlights its importance in the exploration of complex gold-selenide frameworks.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Au4K4Se20, aggregated across 3 databases.
Band GapEnergy needed to move an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. Lower or zero values tend to behave more metallic; larger gaps are more insulating or semiconducting.
Energy Above HullThermodynamic distance from the most stable set of competing phases. 0 eV/atom is on the convex hull; small positive values may still be experimentally accessible.
StabilityA plain-language summary of the best reported energy-above-hull result. It reflects whether the lowest-energy structure is on, near, or far from the stability hull.
StructuresCount of reported calculated crystal structures for this formula, including alternate polymorphs, source databases, and observed space groups.
Applications
Where Au4K4Se20 is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Au4K4Se20, answered from cross-validated data.
What is Au4K4Se20?
Au4K4Se20 is a semiconducting gold-potassium selenide known for its complex structure and metastable nature.
What is Au4K4Se20 used for?
What is the band gap of Au4K4Se20?
Is Au4K4Se20 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is Au4K4Se20 thermodynamically stable?
How many polymorphs of Au4K4Se20 are known?
What elements does Au4K4Se20 contain?
Where does the data for Au4K4Se20 come from?
How It Compares
As a unique ternary phase, Au4K4Se20 serves as a distinct example of how gold can integrate into complex selenide networks. Unlike simpler binary chalcogenides, this compound demonstrates the structural diversity possible when incorporating alkali metal cations to stabilize elaborate anionic frameworks.
Data sources & attribution
- latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform
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