CaCr2O4

CaCr2O4 is a thermodynamically stable, semiconducting spinel oxide used in advanced catalytic research.

Crystal structure of CaCr2O4 (orthorhombic, Pnma (No. 62))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About CaCr2O4

CaCr2O4 is a thermodynamically stable oxide that sits firmly on the convex hull, indicating robust structural integrity. As a member of the spinel oxide family, it exhibits semiconducting electronic behavior, which is a critical characteristic for materials involved in charge-transfer processes during catalytic cycles. Its structural versatility is highlighted by a high number of reported configurations across major materials databases. This compound is primarily investigated for its potential in specialized catalytic roles where stable, semiconducting oxides are required to facilitate complex chemical transformations. Its ability to maintain phase stability under varying conditions makes it a subject of interest for researchers optimizing long-term performance in industrial chemical processes.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for CaCr2O4, aggregated across 3 databases.

Band Gap

0.67–2.26 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

On hull (stable)
2 DFT sources

Structures

41
3 databases, 10 space groups
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for CaCr2O4, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
Pnma (No. 62)orthorhombic0.000.0000-8.5934.80
Pmmn (No. 59)orthorhombic0.000.0200-8.5734.19
Fd-3m (No. 227)cubic2.100.0470-8.5464.02
Cmcm (No. 63)orthorhombic1.620.0746-8.5184.56
P3m1 (No. 156)trigonal1.010.0901-8.5034.01
R3m (No. 160)trigonal2.260.1018-8.4913.92
Imma (No. 74)orthorhombic0.000.1278-8.4654.08
P3m1 (No. 156)trigonal0.670.1391-8.4543.99
C2/m (No. 12)monoclinic0.000.1969-8.3964.28
Cm (No. 8)monoclinic1.080.2424-8.3514.00
Cm (No. 8)monoclinic1.020.2605-8.3324.00
Imma (No. 74)orthorhombic0.800.3098-8.2834.02
Uses

Applications

Where CaCr2O4 is used.

Heterogeneous catalysisChemical synthesisMaterials science research
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about CaCr2O4, answered from cross-validated data.

What is CaCr2O4?

CaCr2O4 is a thermodynamically stable, semiconducting spinel oxide used in advanced catalytic research.

More questions
What is CaCr2O4 used for?
CaCr2O4 is used in heterogeneous catalysis, chemical synthesis, and materials science research.
What is the band gap of CaCr2O4?
CaCr2O4 has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.67–2.26 eV across 41 reported structures.
Is CaCr2O4 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a band gap up to 2.26 eV it is a semiconductor.
Is CaCr2O4 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — CaCr2O4 sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. on hull (stable).
What is the crystal structure of CaCr2O4?
The lowest-energy reported polymorph of CaCr2O4 is orthorhombic symmetry, space group Pnma (No. 62).
What is the density of CaCr2O4?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of CaCr2O4 is 4.80 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of CaCr2O4 are known?
41 structures of CaCr2O4 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 10 distinct space groups.
What elements does CaCr2O4 contain?
CaCr2O4 contains Ca, Cr, and O (3 elements).
Where does the data for CaCr2O4 come from?
CaCr2O4 data is cross-referenced from materials_project, jarvis, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

Within the spinel oxide catalysts class.

Within the diverse group of spinel and transition metal oxides, CaCr2O4 occupies a distinct niche compared to simpler binary oxides like NiO or ZnO. While materials such as MgAl2O4 are frequently utilized for their insulating properties and structural support, CaCr2O4 leverages its semiconducting nature to potentially engage in more active electronic participation during catalysis, placing it in a functional category closer to complex perovskite-structured catalysts like LaMnO3 or LaNiO3.

Explore

Related Compounds

Other Spinel Oxide Catalysts in the database.

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.

Analyze CaCr2O4 in the Lattice Graph platform

Polymorph comparison, confidence scoring, supply-chain risk, and patent monitoring — across 53 integrated data sources.

Explore the Platform →