Bi6Cu2Pb2S12

Bi6Cu2Pb2S12 is a semiconducting quaternary sulfide that is considered a promising candidate for experimental synthesis due to its favorable thermodynamic stability.

BiCuPbS
Crystal structure of Bi6Cu2Pb2S12 (orthorhombic, Pmc21 (No. 26))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About Bi6Cu2Pb2S12

Bi6Cu2Pb2S12 is a complex quaternary sulfide composed of bismuth, copper, lead, and sulfur. Its electronic character as a semiconductor makes it a compelling candidate for specialized functional material research, particularly where specific charge transport properties are required.

The material is characterized by its near-hull thermodynamic stability, suggesting it is a viable target for experimental synthesis. With multiple reported structures across various databases, it represents a significant, if niche, entry in the landscape of complex chalcogenide systems.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for Bi6Cu2Pb2S12, aggregated across 4 databases.

Band Gap

0.56–0.66 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.005 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Near hull (likely stable)
2 DFT sources

Structures

12
4 databases, 3 space groups
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for Bi6Cu2Pb2S12, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
Pmc21 (No. 26)orthorhombic0.620.0050-4.6506.80
Pmn21 (No. 31)orthorhombic0.660.0214-4.6336.81
Pmc21 (No. 26)orthorhombic0.560.0315-4.6236.72
No. 0unknown3.48
No. 0unknown3.48
Pmc21 (No. 26)
Pmc21 (No. 26)
Pmc21 (No. 26)
Pmc21 (No. 26)
6.63
6.76
6.75
Uses

Applications

Where Bi6Cu2Pb2S12 is used.

Semiconductor researchSolid-state chemistry studiesFunctional materials development
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Bi6Cu2Pb2S12, answered from cross-validated data.

What is Bi6Cu2Pb2S12?

Bi6Cu2Pb2S12 is a semiconducting quaternary sulfide that is considered a promising candidate for experimental synthesis due to its favorable thermodynamic stability.

More questions
What is Bi6Cu2Pb2S12 used for?
Bi6Cu2Pb2S12 is used in semiconductor research, solid-state chemistry studies, and functional materials development.
What is the band gap of Bi6Cu2Pb2S12?
Bi6Cu2Pb2S12 has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.56–0.66 eV across 12 reported structures.
Is Bi6Cu2Pb2S12 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a band gap up to 0.66 eV it is a semiconductor.
Is Bi6Cu2Pb2S12 thermodynamically stable?
Bi6Cu2Pb2S12 has a lowest energy above hull of 0.005 eV/atom (near hull (likely stable)).
What is the crystal structure of Bi6Cu2Pb2S12?
The lowest-energy reported polymorph of Bi6Cu2Pb2S12 is orthorhombic symmetry, space group Pmc21 (No. 26).
What is the density of Bi6Cu2Pb2S12?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of Bi6Cu2Pb2S12 is 6.80 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of Bi6Cu2Pb2S12 are known?
12 structures of Bi6Cu2Pb2S12 are reported across 4 databases, spanning 3 distinct space groups.
What elements does Bi6Cu2Pb2S12 contain?
Bi6Cu2Pb2S12 contains Bi, Cu, Pb, and S (4 elements).
Where does the data for Bi6Cu2Pb2S12 come from?
Bi6Cu2Pb2S12 data is cross-referenced from materials_project, cod, aflow, omat24.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a unique quaternary sulfide, this compound occupies a distinct space in materials research. While it lacks direct structural siblings in this specific classification, its composition reflects the broader trend of integrating heavy post-transition metals with chalcogens to tune electronic behavior in complex inorganic solids.

Data sources & attribution
  • materials_project — Data from the Materials Project. Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013).
  • cod — Data from the Crystallography Open Database. Cite: Grazulis et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 40, D420 (2012).
  • aflow — Data from AFLOW. Cite: Curtarolo et al., Comp. Mater. Sci. 58, 218 (2012).
  • omat24 — Data from OMat24 (Meta FAIR). Cite: Barroso-Luque et al., arXiv 2410.12771 (2024).

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