C2S

C2S is a semiconducting carbon-sulfur compound that is thermodynamically unstable and exists in a wide variety of structural configurations.

CS
Crystal structure of C2S (monoclinic, P21 (No. 4))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About C2S

C2S is a carbon-sulfur compound that exhibits semiconducting electronic behavior. Due to its position above the thermodynamic hull, it is considered a metastable or unstable phase, making it a subject of significant interest for researchers studying high-pressure chemistry and exotic bonding environments. Its structural diversity is highlighted by the extensive number of configurations reported across materials databases, reflecting the complex landscape of carbon-sulfur interactions. This compound serves as a critical case study for understanding how non-equilibrium phases can be stabilized or synthesized under specific experimental conditions. Its potential applications remain largely theoretical, focusing on its role in fundamental condensed matter physics and the exploration of novel sulfur-based architectures.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for C2S, aggregated across 4 databases.

Band Gap

0.36–2.59 eV
Range across DFT structures · ground state: wide gap

Energy Above Hull

0.282 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Unstable
3 DFT sources

Structures

103
4 databases, 26 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of C2S. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.

Agreement Score

0.00 / 1.00
Trust tier: low

Hull Spread

2.814 eV
EAH spread across sources

Sources Compared

3
jarvis, materials_project, oqmd

Space Group Consensus

Mixed (most: P21 (No. 4))
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for C2S, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
P21 (No. 4)monoclinic2.590.2818-9.0281.54
——0.002.43742.364—
——0.002.65722.584—
P6/mmm (No. 191)hexagonal0.003.09613.088—
Pmm2 (No. 25)orthorhombic0.583.17773.170—
Pm (No. 6)monoclinic0.363.38523.377—
——0.003.60563.532—
P1 (No. 1)triclinic———2.70
P1 (No. 1)triclinic———3.37
P1 (No. 1)triclinic———2.99
P1 (No. 1)triclinic———3.03
P1 (No. 1)triclinic———4.60
Uses

Applications

Where C2S is used.

Fundamental condensed matter researchHigh-pressure phase synthesis studiesTheoretical materials design
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about C2S, answered from cross-validated data.

What is C2S?

C2S is a semiconducting carbon-sulfur compound that is thermodynamically unstable and exists in a wide variety of structural configurations.

More questions
What is C2S used for?
C2S is used in fundamental condensed matter research, high-pressure phase synthesis studies, and theoretical materials design.
What is the band gap of C2S?
C2S has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.36–2.59 eV across 103 reported structures. Standard DFT underestimates band gaps, so the measured gap is typically larger.
Is C2S a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
DFT predicts a band gap of up to 2.59 eV (a semiconductor). Measured gaps are typically larger.
Is C2S thermodynamically stable?
C2S has a lowest energy above hull of 0.282 eV/atom (unstable).
What is the crystal structure of C2S?
The reference structure of C2S is monoclinic symmetry, space group P21 (No. 4).
What is the density of C2S?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of C2S is 1.54 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of C2S are known?
103 structures of C2S are reported across 4 databases, spanning 26 distinct space groups.
What elements does C2S contain?
C2S contains C and S (2 elements).
Where does the data for C2S come from?
C2S data is cross-referenced from materials_project, oqmd, jarvis, mpaloe.
Reading

Related Research

Comparison

How It Compares

As a unique carbon-sulfur phase, C2S occupies a distinct niche within the broader landscape of chalcogenides, characterized by its inherent thermodynamic instability and complex structural polymorphism compared to more stable, naturally occurring binary compounds.

Data sources & attribution
  • materials_project — Data from the Materials Project (materialsproject.org). Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013). (CC-BY-4.0)
  • 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)
  • jarvis — Data from JARVIS (jarvis.nist.gov), NIST. Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020). (LicenseRef-US-Gov-PD)
  • mpaloe — Data from MP-ALOE. Cite: Kuner et al., npj Comput. Mater. (2025), doi:10.1038/s41524-025-01834-9.

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