HgF

HgF is a thermodynamically stable, semiconducting mercury fluoride compound characterized by a high degree of structural diversity.

FHg
Crystal structure of HgF (tetragonal, I4/mmm (No. 139))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About HgF

HgF is a binary mercury fluoride compound that exhibits semiconducting electronic properties. As a thermodynamically stable phase residing on the convex hull, it represents a well-defined chemical system with significant structural diversity documented across multiple materials databases. Its existence as a stable phase makes it a subject of interest for fundamental studies in mercury-based inorganic chemistry. The material is notable for its structural complexity, with numerous reported configurations that highlight the versatile bonding behavior of mercury in the presence of fluorine. This stability suggests potential utility in specialized chemical synthesis or as a precursor in advanced materials development where mercury-fluorine interactions are required.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for HgF, aggregated across 4 databases.

Band Gap

1.77 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

On hull (stable)
2 DFT sources

Structures

122
4 databases, 22 space groups
Crystallography

Reported Structures

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

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
I4/mmm (No. 139)tetragonal1.770.0000-27.5619.86
Cm (No. 8)Monoclinic9.07
P-1 (No. 2)Triclinic4.62
P-1 (No. 2)Triclinic3.86
C2/m (No. 12)Monoclinic10.33
P-1 (No. 2)Triclinic6.19
R-3m (No. 166)Trigonal14.79
C2/m (No. 12)Monoclinic8.24
Cmcm (No. 63)Orthorhombic7.49
Cmm2 (No. 35)Orthorhombic9.29
Cmm2 (No. 35)Orthorhombic9.97
Cm (No. 8)Monoclinic11.34
Uses

Applications

Where HgF is used.

Chemical synthesisMaterials researchPrecursor for advanced inorganic compounds
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about HgF, answered from cross-validated data.

What is HgF?

HgF is a thermodynamically stable, semiconducting mercury fluoride compound characterized by a high degree of structural diversity.

More questions
What is HgF used for?
HgF is used in chemical synthesis, materials research, and precursor for advanced inorganic compounds.
What is the band gap of HgF?
HgF has a DFT-computed band gap of 1.77 eV across 122 reported structures.
Is HgF a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a band gap up to 1.77 eV it is a semiconductor.
Is HgF thermodynamically stable?
Yes — HgF sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. on hull (stable).
What is the crystal structure of HgF?
The lowest-energy reported polymorph of HgF is tetragonal symmetry, space group I4/mmm (No. 139).
What is the density of HgF?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of HgF is 9.86 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of HgF are known?
122 structures of HgF are reported across 4 databases, spanning 22 distinct space groups.
What elements does HgF contain?
HgF contains F and Hg (2 elements).
Where does the data for HgF come from?
HgF data is cross-referenced from materials_project, mpaloe, jarvis.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a unique binary fluoride, HgF serves as a distinct point of reference within the broader landscape of mercury-based compounds, offering a stable semiconducting profile that differentiates it from more volatile or less chemically robust mercury halides.

Data sources & attribution
  • materials_project — Data from the Materials Project. Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013).
  • mpaloe — Data from mpaloe.
  • jarvis — Data from JARVIS (NIST). Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020).

Analyze HgF in the Lattice Graph platform

Polymorph comparison, confidence scoring, supply-chain risk, and patent monitoring — across 53 integrated data sources.

Explore the Platform →