Ga5CuSe8
Ga5CuSe8 is a semiconducting chalcogenide compound investigated for its potential utility in thin-film solar cell and photovoltaic applications.
About Ga5CuSe8
Ga5CuSe8 is a semiconducting chalcogenide characterized by its complex structural arrangement of copper, gallium, and selenium. As a near-hull material, it sits in a favorable thermodynamic regime, suggesting it is a viable candidate for experimental synthesis and characterization within the broader family of photovoltaic absorbers.
This compound is of significant interest to materials scientists focusing on sustainable energy conversion. Its electronic properties make it a compelling subject for research into thin-film solar cell technologies where efficient light absorption and charge carrier mobility are essential for high-performance devices.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Ga5CuSe8, aggregated across 3 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.
Reported Structures
Lowest-energy structures reported for Ga5CuSe8, 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-42m (No. 111) | tetragonal | 0.39 | 0.0018 | -13.702 | 5.17 |
| P-42m (No. 111) | — | — | — | — | — |
| P-42m (No. 111) | Tetragonal | — | — | — | 5.21 |
| P-42m (No. 111) | Tetragonal | — | — | — | 5.05 |
| P-42m (No. 111) | Tetragonal | — | — | — | 5.30 |
Applications
Where Ga5CuSe8 is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Ga5CuSe8, answered from cross-validated data.
What is Ga5CuSe8?
Ga5CuSe8 is a semiconducting chalcogenide compound investigated for its potential utility in thin-film solar cell and photovoltaic applications.
What is Ga5CuSe8 used for?
What is the band gap of Ga5CuSe8?
Is Ga5CuSe8 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is Ga5CuSe8 thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of Ga5CuSe8?
What is the density of Ga5CuSe8?
How many polymorphs of Ga5CuSe8 are known?
What elements does Ga5CuSe8 contain?
Where does the data for Ga5CuSe8 come from?
How It Compares
Within the chalcogenide photovoltaic absorbers class.
Within the diverse class of chalcogenide photovoltaic absorbers, Ga5CuSe8 occupies a unique niche compared to more conventional members like Cu2Ga2Se4 or InCuS2. While many of its siblings are well-established, Ga5CuSe8 represents a more complex stoichiometry that offers a different structural landscape for tuning optoelectronic performance in advanced solar applications.
Related Compounds
Other Chalcogenide Photovoltaic Absorbers 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.
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