HgS
Cinnabar · Metacinnabar
HgS is a stable, semiconducting mercury sulfide compound that occurs naturally as the mineral cinnabar and is widely studied for its distinct electronic and structural properties.
About Cinnabar
HgS is a thermodynamically stable compound that exists in multiple structural forms, most notably as the vibrant red mineral cinnabar. Its semiconducting nature makes it a subject of significant interest in materials science, particularly regarding its electronic properties and phase transitions.
Due to its high structural diversity, this compound is extensively documented across numerous databases. It remains a foundational material for understanding mercury-based chalcogenides and their potential applications in specialized optoelectronic devices.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Cinnabar, 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.
Cross-Source DFT Agreement
How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of HgS. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.
Agreement ScoreA normalized confidence score summarizing how closely independent DFT databases agree. Higher scores mean tighter cross-source agreement.
Hull SpreadDifference between the highest and lowest energy-above-hull values reported by comparable sources. Smaller spread means less thermodynamic disagreement.
Sources ComparedNumber and names of computational sources with comparable entries for this formula.
Space Group ConsensusWhether independent sources predict the same crystal symmetry for the lowest-energy structure.
Synthesis Routes
Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting HgS.
Applications
Where Cinnabar is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Cinnabar, answered from cross-validated data.
What is HgS?
HgS is a stable, semiconducting mercury sulfide compound that occurs naturally as the mineral cinnabar and is widely studied for its distinct electronic and structural properties.
What is HgS used for?
What is the band gap of HgS?
Is HgS a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is HgS thermodynamically stable?
How many polymorphs of HgS are known?
How is HgS synthesized?
What elements does HgS contain?
Where does the data for HgS come from?
How It Compares
As a prominent binary chalcogenide, HgS serves as a benchmark for stability and structural polymorphism within its chemical family, providing critical insights into the behavior of heavy metal semiconductors.
Data sources & attribution
- latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform
Analyze HgS in the Lattice Graph platform
Polymorph comparison, confidence scoring, supply-chain risk, and patent monitoring — across 53 integrated data sources.
Explore the Platform →