CdCl2

cadmium chloride · cadmium dichloride

Cadmium chloride is a stable, insulating inorganic salt frequently used as a precursor in chemical synthesis and materials research.

CdCl
Crystal structure of CdCl2
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About cadmium chloride

Cadmium chloride is a robust, thermodynamically stable inorganic compound characterized by its insulating electronic nature. As a well-documented material with extensive structural data, it serves as a fundamental building block in various chemical processes and material science research.

Its stability on the convex hull makes it a reliable precursor in industrial and laboratory settings. The compound is widely recognized for its role in the synthesis of other cadmium-based materials and as a reagent in specialized chemical transformations.

At a glance

Key Properties

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

Band Gap

2.90–3.52 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

On hull (stable)
3 DFT sources

Structures

57
4 databases, 15 space groups
Synthesis

Synthesis Routes

Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting CdCl2.

Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Uses

Applications

Where cadmium chloride is used.

Chemical synthesisElectroplatingPigment manufacturingLaboratory reagent
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about cadmium chloride, answered from cross-validated data.

What is CdCl2?

Cadmium chloride is a stable, insulating inorganic salt frequently used as a precursor in chemical synthesis and materials research.

More questions
What is CdCl2 used for?
cadmium chloride (CdCl2) is used in chemical synthesis, electroplating, pigment manufacturing, and laboratory reagent.
What is the band gap of CdCl2?
cadmium chloride (CdCl2) has a DFT-computed band gap of 2.90–3.52 eV across 57 reported structures.
Is CdCl2 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a wide band gap up to 3.52 eV it is an insulator / wide-band-gap material.
Is CdCl2 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — cadmium chloride (CdCl2) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. on hull (stable).
How many polymorphs of CdCl2 are known?
57 structures of CdCl2 are reported across 4 databases, spanning 15 distinct space groups.
How is CdCl2 synthesized?
Literature-reported routes for CdCl2 include solid state.
What elements does CdCl2 contain?
cadmium chloride (CdCl2) contains Cd and Cl (2 elements).
Where does the data for CdCl2 come from?
CdCl2 data is cross-referenced from latticegraph.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a standalone material in this context, cadmium chloride represents a baseline for stable, wide-gap halide structures. Its high degree of structural characterization and thermodynamic reliability distinguish it as a primary reference point for studying cadmium-based chemical systems.

Data sources & attribution
  • latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform

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