GeS

germanium monosulfide · germanium(II) sulfide

Germanium monosulfide is a stable, semiconducting inorganic compound used in research for electronic and optoelectronic applications.

GeS
Crystal structure of GeS (orthorhombic, Pnma (No. 62))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About germanium monosulfide

Germanium monosulfide is a binary chalcogenide that stands out for its robust thermodynamic stability. As a semiconducting material, it has garnered significant attention from researchers looking for alternatives to traditional silicon-based electronics.

Its structural versatility is evidenced by a vast array of reported configurations across major materials databases. This adaptability makes it a compelling candidate for fundamental studies in solid-state physics and the development of next-generation semiconductor technologies.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for germanium monosulfide, aggregated across 5 databases.

Band Gap

0.39–2.49 eV
Range across DFT structures · ground state: narrow gap

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Stable
3 DFT sources

Structures

105
5 databases, 16 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

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

Agreement Score

1.00 / 1.00
Trust tier: high

Hull Spread

0.000 eV
EAH spread across sources

Sources Compared

3
jarvis, materials_project, oqmd

Space Group Consensus

All match
Crystallography

Reported Structures

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

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
——1.350.0000-0.397—
Pnma (No. 62)orthorhombic1.320.0000-0.360—
Pnma (No. 62)orthorhombic1.240.0000-4.8813.96
——1.450.0097-0.387—
——0.590.0382-0.359—
——0.570.0447-0.352—
Cmcm (No. 63)orthorhombic0.820.0457-0.314—
——0.390.0538-0.343—
——0.390.0540-0.343—
Cmcm (No. 63)orthorhombic0.550.0762-4.8054.21
——1.120.1546-0.242—
——0.000.2373-0.160—
Synthesis

Synthesis Routes

Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting GeS.

Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Uses

Applications

Where germanium monosulfide is used.

Semiconductor researchOptoelectronic device developmentPhotovoltaic studies
Intellectual Property

Patent Landscape

1 patent reference GeS or close compositional variants.

PatentTitleAssigneeGranted
11916234Anhydrous liquid-phase exfoliation of pristine electrochemically-active GeS nanosheets——
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about germanium monosulfide, answered from cross-validated data.

What is GeS?

Germanium monosulfide is a stable, semiconducting inorganic compound used in research for electronic and optoelectronic applications.

More questions
What is GeS used for?
germanium monosulfide (GeS) is used in semiconductor research, optoelectronic device development, and photovoltaic studies.
What is the band gap of GeS?
germanium monosulfide (GeS) has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.39–2.49 eV across 105 reported structures. Standard DFT underestimates band gaps, so the measured gap is typically larger.
Is GeS a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
DFT predicts a band gap of up to 2.49 eV (a semiconductor). Measured gaps are typically larger.
Is GeS thermodynamically stable?
Yes — germanium monosulfide (GeS) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. stable.
What is the crystal structure of GeS?
The reference structure of germanium monosulfide (GeS) is orthorhombic symmetry, space group Pnma (No. 62).
How many polymorphs of GeS are known?
105 structures of GeS are reported across 5 databases, spanning 16 distinct space groups.
How is GeS synthesized?
Literature-reported routes for GeS include solid state.
What elements does GeS contain?
germanium monosulfide (GeS) contains Ge and S (2 elements).
Where does the data for GeS come from?
GeS data is cross-referenced from oqmd, jarvis, materials_project, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a standalone binary compound, germanium monosulfide serves as a primary reference point for studying group 14-chalcogenide interactions. Its position on the convex hull highlights its inherent stability, distinguishing it as a reliable subject for experimental synthesis and computational modeling compared to less stable or metastable phases within the broader family of germanium-based chalcogenides.

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)
  • jarvis — Data from JARVIS (jarvis.nist.gov), NIST. Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020). (LicenseRef-US-Gov-PD)
  • 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.

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