CaN6

CaN6 is a metastable, nitrogen-rich calcium compound characterized by its insulating electronic properties.

CaN
Crystal structure of CaN6 (orthorhombic, Fddd (No. 70))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About CaN6

CaN6 is a nitrogen-rich calcium compound that exists in a metastable state. As a wide-band-gap insulator, it represents a unique configuration of alkaline earth metal and nitrogen bonding, drawing interest for its potential as a high-energy density material.

Its structural complexity is highlighted by the multiple reported configurations found in research databases. These diverse arrangements reflect the intricate interplay between the calcium cations and the nitrogen-rich anionic framework, which is critical for understanding its stability and potential reactivity.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for CaN6, aggregated across 3 databases.

Band Gap

3.22–3.42 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.041 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Metastable
2 DFT sources

Structures

6
3 databases, 2 space groups
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for CaN6, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
Fddd (No. 70)orthorhombic3.420.0406-9.0632.23
C2 (No. 5)monoclinic3.220.2440-8.8602.14
Fddd (No. 70)
Fddd (No. 70)Orthorhombic2.14
Fddd (No. 70)Orthorhombic2.22
Fddd (No. 70)Orthorhombic2.16
Uses

Applications

Where CaN6 is used.

High-energy density material researchFundamental solid-state chemistry studies
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about CaN6, answered from cross-validated data.

What is CaN6?

CaN6 is a metastable, nitrogen-rich calcium compound characterized by its insulating electronic properties.

More questions
What is CaN6 used for?
CaN6 is used in high-energy density material research and fundamental solid-state chemistry studies.
What is the band gap of CaN6?
CaN6 has a DFT-computed band gap of 3.22–3.42 eV across 6 reported structures.
Is CaN6 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a wide band gap up to 3.42 eV it is an insulator / wide-band-gap material.
Is CaN6 thermodynamically stable?
CaN6 has a lowest energy above hull of 0.041 eV/atom (metastable).
What is the crystal structure of CaN6?
The lowest-energy reported polymorph of CaN6 is orthorhombic symmetry, space group Fddd (No. 70).
What is the density of CaN6?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of CaN6 is 2.23 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of CaN6 are known?
6 structures of CaN6 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 2 distinct space groups.
What elements does CaN6 contain?
CaN6 contains Ca and N (2 elements).
Where does the data for CaN6 come from?
CaN6 data is cross-referenced from materials_project, jarvis, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a specialized nitrogen-rich inorganic compound, CaN6 occupies a distinct niche in materials science. Unlike more common stable salts, its metastable nature and insulating electronic character make it a focus for researchers exploring novel high-energy density storage and advanced chemical synthesis pathways.

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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