HgNCl
HgNCl is a semiconducting mercury-nitrogen-chlorine compound that exists as a metastable phase in solid-state materials science.
About HgNCl
HgNCl is a complex inorganic compound composed of mercury, nitrogen, and chlorine. It exhibits semiconducting electronic behavior, positioning it as an interesting subject for fundamental studies in solid-state chemistry and electronic material properties.
Despite its existence in multiple reported structures across research databases, this compound is categorized as being above the thermodynamic hull. This suggests that it may be metastable under ambient conditions, requiring specific synthesis pathways to stabilize its crystalline framework.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for HgNCl, aggregated across 4 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about HgNCl, answered from cross-validated data.
What is HgNCl?
HgNCl is a semiconducting mercury-nitrogen-chlorine compound that exists as a metastable phase in solid-state materials science.
What is the band gap of HgNCl?
Is HgNCl a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is HgNCl thermodynamically stable?
How many polymorphs of HgNCl are known?
What elements does HgNCl contain?
Where does the data for HgNCl come from?
How It Compares
As a unique inorganic phase, HgNCl occupies a specialized niche in materials research. Without direct structural siblings in its immediate class, it serves as a distinct example of how mercury-nitrogen-halogen systems can form semiconducting architectures that challenge standard thermodynamic stability expectations.
Data sources & attribution
- latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform
Analyze HgNCl in the Lattice Graph platform
Polymorph comparison, confidence scoring, supply-chain risk, and patent monitoring — across 53 integrated data sources.
Explore the Platform →