K2TeO3
potassium tellurite · potassium tellurite(IV)
Potassium tellurite is a stable, insulating inorganic salt frequently utilized in microbiological research and chemical synthesis.
About potassium tellurite
Potassium tellurite is a stable inorganic compound that exists as a wide-gap insulator. Its electronic structure and thermodynamic stability on the convex hull make it a reliable material for research involving tellurium-based chemistry and solid-state synthesis.
This compound is primarily recognized for its utility in laboratory settings, particularly in microbiology where it serves as a selective agent in growth media. Its role as a stable source of tellurite ions allows for precise control in various chemical processes and material applications.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for potassium tellurite, aggregated across 3 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 K2TeO3. 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.
Reported Structures
Lowest-energy structures reported for K2TeO3, ranked by energy above hull.
| Space GroupSymmetry classification of the crystal arrangement. The number is the international space-group index. | Crystal SystemBroad lattice family, such as cubic, tetragonal, monoclinic, or triclinic, derived from unit-cell symmetry. | Band Gap (eV)Electronic gap calculated for this specific reported structure, measured in electronvolts. | E above hull (eV/atom)Thermodynamic distance from the convex hull for this structure, normalized per atom. Lower is generally more stable. | E/atom (eV)Computed total energy normalized per atom. Use energy above hull, not this value alone, when comparing stability. | Density (g/cm³)Mass per relaxed crystal volume, reported in grams per cubic centimeter. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | 3.73 | 0.0000 | -1.728 | — |
| P-3 (No. 147) | trigonal | 3.69 | 0.0000 | -1.659 | — |
| P-3 (No. 147) | trigonal | 3.52 | 0.0000 | -5.236 | 3.50 |
| — | — | 3.44 | 0.0039 | -1.724 | — |
| — | — | 3.69 | 0.0141 | -1.714 | — |
| — | — | 3.73 | 0.0173 | -1.711 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0313 | -1.697 | — |
| — | — | 3.85 | 0.0481 | -1.680 | — |
| — | — | 3.65 | 0.0678 | -1.660 | — |
| — | — | 2.65 | 0.2073 | -1.521 | — |
| P-3 (No. 147) | trigonal | — | — | — | 3.49 |
| P-3 (No. 147) | trigonal | — | — | — | 3.36 |
Applications
Where potassium tellurite is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about potassium tellurite, answered from cross-validated data.
What is K2TeO3?
Potassium tellurite is a stable, insulating inorganic salt frequently utilized in microbiological research and chemical synthesis.
What is K2TeO3 used for?
What is the band gap of K2TeO3?
Is K2TeO3 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is K2TeO3 thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of K2TeO3?
How many polymorphs of K2TeO3 are known?
What elements does K2TeO3 contain?
Where does the data for K2TeO3 come from?
How It Compares
As a stable tellurite salt, this compound serves as a fundamental reference point for alkali metal tellurite chemistry. It occupies a distinct position as a thermodynamically favored phase, providing a baseline for understanding the structural and electronic behavior of related tellurium-based salts.
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)
- cod — Data from the Crystallography Open Database (crystallography.net/cod/). Cite: Grazulis et al., J. Appl. Cryst. 42, 726 (2009). (CC0-1.0)
- mpaloe — Data from MP-ALOE. Cite: Kuner et al., npj Comput. Mater. (2025), doi:10.1038/s41524-025-01834-9.
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