BI
BI has a DFT band gap of 0.41–0.73 eV across 261 reported structures in 26 space groups; its reference structure is monoclinic (Cm (No. 8)). Cross-validated across 3 computational databases.
BI
At a glance
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for BI, 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.
0.41–0.73 eV
Range across DFT structures · ground state: narrow gap
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.
0.883 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources
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.
Unstable
2 DFT sources
StructuresCount of reported calculated crystal structures for this formula, including alternate polymorphs, source databases, and observed space groups.
261
3 databases, 26 space groups
Validation
Cross-Source DFT Agreement
How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of BI. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.
Agreement ScoreA normalized confidence score summarizing how closely independent DFT databases agree. Higher scores mean tighter cross-source agreement.
0.00 / 1.00
Trust tier: low
Hull SpreadDifference between the highest and lowest energy-above-hull values reported by comparable sources. Smaller spread means less thermodynamic disagreement.
0.748 eV
EAH spread across sources
Sources ComparedNumber and names of computational sources with comparable entries for this formula.
2
jarvis, oqmd
Space Group ConsensusWhether independent sources predict the same crystal symmetry for the lowest-energy structure.
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Crystallography
Reported Structures
Lowest-energy structures reported for BI, ranked by energy above hull.
| Space GroupSymmetry classification of the crystal arrangement. The number is the international space-group index. | Crystal SystemBroad lattice family, such as cubic, tetragonal, monoclinic, or triclinic, derived from unit-cell symmetry. | Band Gap (eV)Electronic gap calculated for this specific reported structure, measured in electronvolts. | E above hull (eV/atom)Thermodynamic distance from the convex hull for this structure, normalized per atom. Lower is generally more stable. | E/atom (eV)Computed total energy normalized per atom. Use energy above hull, not this value alone, when comparing stability. | Density (g/cm³)Mass per relaxed crystal volume, reported in grams per cubic centimeter. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cm (No. 8) | monoclinic | 0.73 | 0.8835 | 0.862 | — |
| P4/nmm (No. 129) | tetragonal | 0.41 | 1.4885 | 1.467 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 1.6320 | 1.507 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 1.6320 | 1.507 | — |
| — | — | 0.49 | 1.8048 | 1.680 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 1.8203 | 1.695 | — |
| P-6m2 (No. 187) | hexagonal | 0.00 | 1.8232 | 1.801 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 2.0847 | 1.959 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 2.0942 | 1.969 | — |
| P1 (No. 1) | triclinic | — | — | — | 8.19 |
| P1 (No. 1) | triclinic | — | — | — | 4.48 |
| P1 (No. 1) | triclinic | — | — | — | 4.45 |
Reference
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about BI, answered from cross-validated data.
What is the band gap of BI?
BI has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.41–0.73 eV across 261 reported structures. Standard DFT underestimates band gaps, so the measured gap is typically larger.
More questions
Is BI a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
DFT predicts a band gap of up to 0.73 eV (a semiconductor). Measured gaps are typically larger.
Is BI thermodynamically stable?
BI has a lowest energy above hull of 0.883 eV/atom (unstable).
What is the crystal structure of BI?
The reference structure of BI is monoclinic symmetry, space group Cm (No. 8).
How many polymorphs of BI are known?
261 structures of BI are reported across 3 databases, spanning 26 distinct space groups.
What elements does BI contain?
BI contains B and I (2 elements).
Where does the data for BI come from?
BI data is cross-referenced from jarvis, oqmd, mpaloe.
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)
- mpaloe — Data from MP-ALOE. Cite: Kuner et al., npj Comput. Mater. (2025), doi:10.1038/s41524-025-01834-9.
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