GdF3

Gadolinium trifluoride · Gadolinium fluoride

Gadolinium trifluoride is a stable, semiconducting inorganic compound used primarily in optical and luminescent technologies.

FGd
Crystal structure of GdF3 (cubic, Fm-3m (No. 225))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About Gadolinium trifluoride

Gadolinium trifluoride is a thermodynamically stable inorganic compound that exists as a semiconducting material. Its robust structural nature is highlighted by a wide array of documented crystalline phases, reflecting its versatility in solid-state chemistry.

This material is primarily valued for its utility in specialized optical and electronic applications. Its stability and electronic properties make it a significant candidate for host matrices in luminescent devices and thin-film technologies.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for Gadolinium trifluoride, aggregated across 2 databases.

Band Gap

4.09–8.59 eV
Range across DFT structures · ground state: wide gap

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Stable
2 DFT sources

Structures

33
2 databases, 6 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of GdF3. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.

Agreement Score

1.00 / 1.00
Trust tier: medium

Hull Spread

0.000 eV
EAH spread across sources

Sources Compared

2
materials_project, oqmd

Space Group Consensus

—
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for GdF3, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
——8.410.0000-4.432—
Fm-3m (No. 225)cubic2.860.0000-9.0658.11
——8.520.0127-4.420—
——8.520.0129-4.420—
——8.590.0184-4.414—
——8.340.0268-4.406—
——7.520.0538-4.379—
——8.080.0613-4.371—
——7.380.0961-4.336—
——7.530.1425-4.290—
——7.720.1548-4.278—
——7.910.1562-4.276—
Uses

Applications

Where Gadolinium trifluoride is used.

Optical coatingsLuminescent host materialsThin-film depositionLaser materials
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Gadolinium trifluoride, answered from cross-validated data.

What is GdF3?

Gadolinium trifluoride is a stable, semiconducting inorganic compound used primarily in optical and luminescent technologies.

More questions
What is GdF3 used for?
Gadolinium trifluoride (GdF3) is used in optical coatings, luminescent host materials, thin-film deposition, and laser materials.
What is the band gap of GdF3?
Gadolinium trifluoride (GdF3) has a DFT-computed band gap of 4.09–8.59 eV across 33 reported structures. Standard DFT underestimates band gaps, so the measured gap is typically larger.
Is GdF3 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
DFT predicts a wide band gap of up to 8.59 eV (an insulator or wide-band-gap material).
Is GdF3 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — Gadolinium trifluoride (GdF3) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. stable.
What is the crystal structure of GdF3?
The reference structure of Gadolinium trifluoride (GdF3) is cubic symmetry, space group Fm-3m (No. 225).
What is the density of GdF3?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of Gadolinium trifluoride (GdF3) is 8.11 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of GdF3 are known?
33 structures of GdF3 are reported across 2 databases, spanning 6 distinct space groups.
What elements does GdF3 contain?
Gadolinium trifluoride (GdF3) contains F and Gd (2 elements).
Where does the data for GdF3 come from?
GdF3 data is cross-referenced from oqmd, materials_project, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a standalone representative of its chemical class in this context, gadolinium trifluoride serves as a benchmark for stable rare-earth fluorides. Its ability to maintain thermodynamic stability while exhibiting semiconducting behavior positions it as a reliable material for high-performance applications where structural integrity is paramount.

Data sources & attribution
  • 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)
  • mpaloe — Data from MP-ALOE. Cite: Kuner et al., npj Comput. Mater. (2025), doi:10.1038/s41524-025-01834-9.

Analyze GdF3 in the Lattice Graph platform

Polymorph comparison, confidence scoring, supply-chain risk, and patent monitoring — across 85 source databases.

Explore the Platform →
Results are informational and should be validated by qualified professionals. See Terms of Service