GaCl3

Gallium trichloride · Gallium(III) chloride

Gallium trichloride is a stable, insulating gallium-based salt widely employed as a versatile chemical reagent and catalyst.

ClGa
Crystal structure of GaCl3
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About Gallium trichloride

Gallium trichloride is a stable inorganic compound characterized by its insulating electronic nature. Due to its position on the thermodynamic convex hull, it remains a robust and reliable material for various chemical processes. Its high structural diversity, reflected in numerous reported configurations, underscores its utility in complex chemical environments. This compound is widely utilized as a specialized reagent, particularly in organic synthesis and the preparation of other gallium-based materials. Its role as a Lewis acid makes it indispensable for catalyzing specific chemical transformations, while its stability ensures predictable performance in industrial and laboratory settings.

At a glance

Key Properties

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

Band Gap

0.05–4.20 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

On hull (stable)
2 DFT sources

Structures

36
3 databases, 10 space groups
Uses

Applications

Where Gallium trichloride is used.

Organic synthesisLewis acid catalysisSemiconductor material precursorChemical vapor deposition
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Gallium trichloride, answered from cross-validated data.

What is GaCl3?

Gallium trichloride is a stable, insulating gallium-based salt widely employed as a versatile chemical reagent and catalyst.

More questions
What is GaCl3 used for?
Gallium trichloride (GaCl3) is used in organic synthesis, lewis acid catalysis, semiconductor material precursor, and chemical vapor deposition.
What is the band gap of GaCl3?
Gallium trichloride (GaCl3) has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.05–4.20 eV across 36 reported structures.
Is GaCl3 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a wide band gap up to 4.20 eV it is an insulator / wide-band-gap material.
Is GaCl3 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — Gallium trichloride (GaCl3) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. on hull (stable).
How many polymorphs of GaCl3 are known?
36 structures of GaCl3 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 10 distinct space groups.
What elements does GaCl3 contain?
Gallium trichloride (GaCl3) contains Cl and Ga (2 elements).
Where does the data for GaCl3 come from?
GaCl3 data is cross-referenced from latticegraph.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a standalone representative of its chemical class, gallium trichloride functions as a primary building block for gallium-based chemistry. Its thermodynamic stability and clear insulating character distinguish it as a foundational material for researchers exploring halide-based precursors without the structural complexity found in more intricate multi-element systems.

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

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