Bi4In8S18
Bi4In8S18 is a semiconducting ternary sulfide compound that is thermodynamically stable and structurally well-characterized.

About Bi4In8S18
Bi4In8S18 is a complex ternary sulfide composed of bismuth, indium, and sulfur. As a semiconducting material, it exhibits electronic properties that make it a subject of interest for specialized solid-state research and potential functional device integration.
This compound is characterized by its proximity to the thermodynamic hull, suggesting that it is a stable phase capable of being synthesized in a laboratory setting. Its presence across multiple structural databases highlights its significance as a well-documented member of the bismuth-indium-sulfur system.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Bi4In8S18, 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.
Reported Structures
Lowest-energy structures reported for Bi4In8S18, 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P21/m (No. 11) | monoclinic | 1.63 | 0.0022 | -19.273 | 5.31 |
| — | — | — | — | — | 4.08 |
| P21/m (No. 11) | — | — | — | — | — |
| P21/m (No. 11) | — | — | — | — | — |
Applications
Where Bi4In8S18 is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Bi4In8S18, answered from cross-validated data.
What is Bi4In8S18?
Bi4In8S18 is a semiconducting ternary sulfide compound that is thermodynamically stable and structurally well-characterized.
What is Bi4In8S18 used for?
What is the band gap of Bi4In8S18?
Is Bi4In8S18 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is Bi4In8S18 thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of Bi4In8S18?
What is the density of Bi4In8S18?
How many polymorphs of Bi4In8S18 are known?
What elements does Bi4In8S18 contain?
Where does the data for Bi4In8S18 come from?
How It Compares
As a unique ternary sulfide, Bi4In8S18 serves as a distinct representative of complex chalcogenide systems. It occupies a specialized niche in materials science where the interplay between heavy metal cations and sulfur anions allows for diverse structural arrangements, distinguishing it from simpler binary or ternary sulfide phases.
Data sources & attribution
- materials_project — Data from the Materials Project. Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013).
- omat24 — Data from OMat24 (Meta FAIR). Cite: Barroso-Luque et al., arXiv 2410.12771 (2024).
- aflow — Data from AFLOW. Cite: Curtarolo et al., Comp. Mater. Sci. 58, 218 (2012).
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