BI3

Bismuth triiodide · Bismuth(III) iodide

Bismuth triiodide is a stable, semiconducting inorganic compound frequently studied for its diverse structural configurations.

BI
Crystal structure of BI3 (hexagonal, P63/m (No. 176))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About Bismuth triiodide

Bismuth triiodide is a stable inorganic compound that exhibits semiconducting electronic properties. Its position on the convex hull underscores its thermodynamic robustness, making it a reliable subject for structural investigation.

With numerous reported structures across major databases, this material is a well-characterized entity in solid-state chemistry. Its unique electronic nature allows it to be utilized in various specialized technological and research applications.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for Bismuth triiodide, aggregated across 3 databases.

Band Gap

2.69 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

On hull (stable)
2 DFT sources

Structures

25
3 databases, 11 space groups
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for BI3, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
P63/m (No. 176)hexagonal2.690.0000-3.1603.79
Pm (No. 6)Monoclinic4.81
P-1 (No. 2)Triclinic4.31
P-1 (No. 2)Triclinic4.62
C2/m (No. 12)Monoclinic5.95
P21/m (No. 11)Monoclinic4.56
P21/m (No. 11)Monoclinic4.20
P21/m (No. 11)Monoclinic6.55
Pbam (No. 55)Orthorhombic4.85
Pbam (No. 55)Orthorhombic3.84
Pbam (No. 55)Orthorhombic7.32
Pm (No. 6)Monoclinic3.96
Uses

Applications

Where Bismuth triiodide is used.

Radiation detectionSemiconductor researchChemical synthesis precursor
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Bismuth triiodide, answered from cross-validated data.

What is BI3?

Bismuth triiodide is a stable, semiconducting inorganic compound frequently studied for its diverse structural configurations.

More questions
What is BI3 used for?
Bismuth triiodide (BI3) is used in radiation detection, semiconductor research, and chemical synthesis precursor.
What is the band gap of BI3?
Bismuth triiodide (BI3) has a DFT-computed band gap of 2.69 eV across 25 reported structures.
Is BI3 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a band gap up to 2.69 eV it is a semiconductor.
Is BI3 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — Bismuth triiodide (BI3) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. on hull (stable).
What is the crystal structure of BI3?
The lowest-energy reported polymorph of Bismuth triiodide (BI3) is hexagonal symmetry, space group P63/m (No. 176).
What is the density of BI3?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of Bismuth triiodide (BI3) is 3.79 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of BI3 are known?
25 structures of BI3 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 11 distinct space groups.
What elements does BI3 contain?
Bismuth triiodide (BI3) contains B and I (2 elements).
Where does the data for BI3 come from?
BI3 data is cross-referenced from materials_project, mpaloe, jarvis.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a distinct inorganic compound, bismuth triiodide serves as a fundamental reference point for bismuth-based halide materials, demonstrating high structural stability and predictable semiconducting behavior within its chemical family.

Data sources & attribution
  • materials_project — Data from the Materials Project. Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013).
  • mpaloe — Data from mpaloe.
  • jarvis — Data from JARVIS (NIST). Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020).

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