CrN
Chromium nitride · Chromium(III) nitride
Chromium nitride is a metallic binary compound of chromium and nitrogen that is widely studied for its potential in advanced protective coatings.
About Chromium nitride
Chromium nitride is a metallic transition metal nitride that exhibits significant structural complexity. Its ability to exist in numerous stable configurations makes it a subject of extensive investigation for materials scientists interested in hard, wear-resistant phases.
Because it is considered near-hull in thermodynamic stability, this compound is recognized as a viable candidate for synthesis. Its metallic nature and robust lattice structure are critical factors for its performance in industrial applications requiring durability.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Chromium nitride, aggregated across 5 databases.
Band GapEnergy needed to move an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. Lower or zero values tend to behave more metallic; larger gaps are more insulating or semiconducting.
Energy Above HullThermodynamic distance from the most stable set of competing phases. 0 eV/atom is on the convex hull; small positive values may still be experimentally accessible.
StabilityA plain-language summary of the best reported energy-above-hull result. It reflects whether the lowest-energy structure is on, near, or far from the stability hull.
StructuresCount of reported calculated crystal structures for this formula, including alternate polymorphs, source databases, and observed space groups.
Cross-Source DFT Agreement
How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of CrN. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.
Agreement ScoreA normalized confidence score summarizing how closely independent DFT databases agree. Higher scores mean tighter cross-source agreement.
Hull SpreadDifference between the highest and lowest energy-above-hull values reported by comparable sources. Smaller spread means less thermodynamic disagreement.
Sources ComparedNumber and names of computational sources with comparable entries for this formula.
Space Group ConsensusWhether independent sources predict the same crystal symmetry for the lowest-energy structure.
Reported Structures
Lowest-energy structures reported for CrN, ranked by energy above hull.
| Space GroupSymmetry classification of the crystal arrangement. The number is the international space-group index. | Crystal SystemBroad lattice family, such as cubic, tetragonal, monoclinic, or triclinic, derived from unit-cell symmetry. | Band Gap (eV)Electronic gap calculated for this specific reported structure, measured in electronvolts. | E above hull (eV/atom)Thermodynamic distance from the convex hull for this structure, normalized per atom. Lower is generally more stable. | E/atom (eV)Computed total energy normalized per atom. Use energy above hull, not this value alone, when comparing stability. | Density (g/cm³)Mass per relaxed crystal volume, reported in grams per cubic centimeter. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P-6m2 (No. 187) | hexagonal | 0.00 | 0.0000 | -0.690 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0000 | -0.618 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0033 | -0.615 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0093 | -0.609 | — |
| Pmmn (No. 59) | orthorhombic | 0.00 | 0.0225 | -12.828 | 6.20 |
| R-3m (No. 166) | trigonal | 0.00 | 0.0411 | -12.809 | 6.13 |
| C2/m (No. 12) | monoclinic | 0.00 | 0.0476 | -12.803 | 6.13 |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.0482 | -12.802 | 5.96 |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0510 | -0.567 | — |
| F-43m (No. 216) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.0703 | -12.780 | 5.15 |
| P4/nmm (No. 129) | tetragonal | 0.00 | 0.0769 | -12.773 | 6.17 |
| F-43m (No. 216) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.0937 | -0.596 | — |
Applications
Where Chromium nitride is used.
Patent Landscape
1 patent reference CrN or close compositional variants.
| Patent | Title | Assignee | Granted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11377729 | Post-processing method for improving anti-wear and friction-reducing properties of CrN coating | — | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Chromium nitride, answered from cross-validated data.
What is CrN?
Chromium nitride is a metallic binary compound of chromium and nitrogen that is widely studied for its potential in advanced protective coatings.
What is CrN used for?
What is the band gap of CrN?
Is CrN a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is CrN thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of CrN?
What is the density of CrN?
How many polymorphs of CrN are known?
What elements does CrN contain?
Where does the data for CrN come from?
How It Compares
As a standalone transition metal nitride, Chromium nitride serves as a foundational reference point for the study of binary metal-nitrogen systems, demonstrating the characteristic metallic behavior and structural adaptability expected of this material class.
Data sources & attribution
- jarvis — Data from JARVIS (jarvis.nist.gov), NIST. Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020). (LicenseRef-US-Gov-PD)
- 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)
- materials_project — Data from the Materials Project (materialsproject.org). Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013). (CC-BY-4.0)
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