BiI3

Bismuth triiodide · Bismuth(III) iodide

Bismuth triiodide is a stable, semiconducting bismuth-based halide used primarily in advanced radiation detection and optoelectronic research.

BiI
Crystal structure of BiI3 (trigonal, R-3 (No. 148))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About Bismuth triiodide

Bismuth triiodide is a semiconducting inorganic compound that exists as a thermodynamically stable phase on the convex hull. Its layered crystal structure and electronic properties make it a subject of significant interest for materials scientists exploring heavy-metal halides.

This material is primarily utilized in the development of high-performance radiation detectors and various optoelectronic devices. Its ability to effectively interact with high-energy photons positions it as a specialized candidate for advanced sensing technologies.

At a glance

Key Properties

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

Band Gap

2.23–2.81 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

On hull (stable)
2 DFT sources

Structures

53
3 databases, 16 space groups
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for BiI3, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
R-3 (No. 148)trigonal2.530.0000-2.8825.32
P21/c (No. 14)monoclinic2.810.0017-2.8805.24
P-31m (No. 162)trigonal2.490.0026-2.8795.32
P21/c (No. 14)monoclinic2.300.0202-2.8624.41
Pnma (No. 62)orthorhombic2.790.0342-2.8485.01
P21/m (No. 11)monoclinic2.230.0864-2.7964.88
Fm-3m (No. 225)cubic0.000.5994-2.2827.28
Cm (No. 8)
C2/m (No. 12)Monoclinic5.81
R-3 (No. 148)
P21/m (No. 11)Monoclinic4.88
P-31m (No. 162)Trigonal4.78
Uses

Applications

Where Bismuth triiodide is used.

Radiation detectorsOptoelectronic devicesSemiconductor research
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

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

What is BiI3?

Bismuth triiodide is a stable, semiconducting bismuth-based halide used primarily in advanced radiation detection and optoelectronic research.

More questions
What is BiI3 used for?
Bismuth triiodide (BiI3) is used in radiation detectors, optoelectronic devices, and semiconductor research.
What is the band gap of BiI3?
Bismuth triiodide (BiI3) has a DFT-computed band gap of 2.23–2.81 eV across 53 reported structures.
Is BiI3 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a band gap up to 2.81 eV it is a semiconductor.
Is BiI3 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — Bismuth triiodide (BiI3) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. on hull (stable).
What is the crystal structure of BiI3?
The lowest-energy reported polymorph of Bismuth triiodide (BiI3) is trigonal symmetry, space group R-3 (No. 148).
What is the density of BiI3?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of Bismuth triiodide (BiI3) is 5.32 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of BiI3 are known?
53 structures of BiI3 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 16 distinct space groups.
What elements does BiI3 contain?
Bismuth triiodide (BiI3) contains Bi and I (2 elements).
Where does the data for BiI3 come from?
BiI3 data is cross-referenced from materials_project, jarvis, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a prominent heavy-metal halide, bismuth triiodide serves as a benchmark for the class, distinguished by its high atomic number components and stable structural configuration which facilitate efficient charge transport in semiconductor applications.

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

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