K3As

K3As is a stable, semiconducting binary compound composed of potassium and arsenic.

AsK
Crystal structure of K3As (hexagonal, P63/mmc (No. 194))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About K3As

K3As is a binary arsenide compound that exhibits semiconducting electronic behavior. As a thermodynamically stable phase located on the convex hull, it represents a robust configuration within its chemical system, making it an interesting subject for fundamental materials research. Its stability suggests potential for reliable performance in specialized solid-state applications where precise electronic control is required. The compound has been characterized through multiple structural studies, highlighting its significance in the broader landscape of alkali metal pnictides.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for K3As, aggregated across 3 databases.

Band Gap

0.21–0.67 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

16
3 databases, 3 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of K3As. 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 K3As, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
——0.260.0000-0.336—
P63/mmc (No. 194)hexagonal0.210.0000-0.437—
P63/mmc (No. 194)hexagonal0.110.0000-2.3192.15
——0.260.0015-0.335—
——0.000.0167-0.320—
——0.000.0177-0.319—
——0.670.0516-0.285—
——0.670.0516-0.285—
——0.000.1152-0.221—
Pm-3m (No. 221)cubic0.000.1694-0.267—
——0.000.2029-0.134—
P63/mmc (No. 194)hexagonal———2.13
Uses

Applications

Where K3As is used.

Semiconductor researchSolid-state chemistryMaterials science development
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about K3As, answered from cross-validated data.

What is K3As?

K3As is a stable, semiconducting binary compound composed of potassium and arsenic.

More questions
What is K3As used for?
K3As is used in semiconductor research, solid-state chemistry, and materials science development.
What is the band gap of K3As?
K3As has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.21–0.67 eV across 16 reported structures. Standard DFT underestimates band gaps, so the measured gap is typically larger.
Is K3As a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
DFT predicts a band gap of up to 0.67 eV (a semiconductor). Measured gaps are typically larger.
Is K3As thermodynamically stable?
Yes — K3As sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. stable.
What is the crystal structure of K3As?
The reference structure of K3As is hexagonal symmetry, space group P63/mmc (No. 194).
How many polymorphs of K3As are known?
16 structures of K3As are reported across 3 databases, spanning 3 distinct space groups.
What elements does K3As contain?
K3As contains As and K (2 elements).
Where does the data for K3As come from?
K3As data is cross-referenced from oqmd, jarvis, materials_project, mpaloe, cod.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a member of the alkali metal pnictide family, K3As stands out for its thermodynamic stability and well-defined structural profile. While many materials in this class are highly reactive or metastable, this compound maintains a stable state that facilitates its investigation as a semiconductor in experimental material science.

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.
  • cod — Data from the Crystallography Open Database (crystallography.net/cod/). Cite: Grazulis et al., J. Appl. Cryst. 42, 726 (2009). (CC0-1.0)

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