B3H4

B3H4 is a semiconducting boron hydride compound investigated for its role in hydrogen storage research.

Crystal structure of B3H4 (orthorhombic, Pna21 (No. 33))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About B3H4

B3H4 is a semiconducting boron hydride that belongs to the class of hydrogen storage materials. Its composition highlights the complex bonding nature of boron-hydrogen systems, which are frequently investigated for their potential to facilitate high-density energy storage applications. Due to its position above the thermodynamic hull, this compound is generally considered unstable under standard conditions. Its structural complexity is evidenced by a significant number of reported configurations, marking it as a subject of interest for computational studies in materials science.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for B3H4, aggregated across 2 databases.

Band Gap

2.34 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.168 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Above hull
1 DFT source

Structures

103
2 databases, 17 space groups
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for B3H4, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
Pna21 (No. 33)orthorhombic2.340.1678-5.0510.60
P-3m1 (No. 164)Trigonal1.85
Cm (No. 8)Monoclinic1.60
C2/m (No. 12)Monoclinic2.08
C2/m (No. 12)Monoclinic1.81
C2/m (No. 12)Monoclinic1.69
P3m1 (No. 156)Trigonal1.86
P3m1 (No. 156)Trigonal1.77
P3m1 (No. 156)Trigonal1.65
P1 (No. 1)Triclinic2.07
P1 (No. 1)Triclinic1.75
Cm (No. 8)Monoclinic1.74
Uses

Applications

Where B3H4 is used.

Hydrogen storage researchComputational materials science
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about B3H4, answered from cross-validated data.

What is B3H4?

B3H4 is a semiconducting boron hydride compound investigated for its role in hydrogen storage research.

More questions
What is B3H4 used for?
B3H4 is used in hydrogen storage research and computational materials science.
What is the band gap of B3H4?
B3H4 has a DFT-computed band gap of 2.34 eV across 103 reported structures.
Is B3H4 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a band gap up to 2.34 eV it is a semiconductor.
Is B3H4 thermodynamically stable?
B3H4 has a lowest energy above hull of 0.168 eV/atom (above hull).
What is the crystal structure of B3H4?
The lowest-energy reported polymorph of B3H4 is orthorhombic symmetry, space group Pna21 (No. 33).
What is the density of B3H4?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of B3H4 is 0.60 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of B3H4 are known?
103 structures of B3H4 are reported across 2 databases, spanning 17 distinct space groups.
What elements does B3H4 contain?
B3H4 contains B and H (2 elements).
Where does the data for B3H4 come from?
B3H4 data is cross-referenced from materials_project, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

Within the hydrogen storage hydrides class.

Unlike the highly stable and widely utilized binary hydrides such as LiH or MgH2, B3H4 exhibits greater structural complexity and lower thermodynamic stability. While simple hydrides like CaH2 serve as robust benchmarks for hydrogen storage, B3H4 represents a more specialized, metastable boron-rich phase that requires careful synthesis considerations compared to its more conventional, stable counterparts.

Explore

Related Compounds

Other Hydrogen Storage Hydrides in the database.

Data sources & attribution
  • materials_project — Data from the Materials Project. Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013).
  • mpaloe — Data from mpaloe.

Analyze B3H4 in the Lattice Graph platform

Polymorph comparison, confidence scoring, supply-chain risk, and patent monitoring — across 53 integrated data sources.

Explore the Platform →