KC
KC is an insulating, metastable binary compound of potassium and carbon that exists in a variety of structural forms.
About KC
KC is a binary compound composed of potassium and carbon. It is notable for its wide-band-gap insulating nature, which distinguishes it from more common conductive carbon-based materials or metallic alloys. The material exhibits significant structural complexity, with numerous reported configurations across various databases.
Due to its position above the thermodynamic stability hull, KC is generally considered an unstable phase under standard conditions. This metastability makes it a subject of interest for researchers studying high-pressure synthesis or unconventional bonding environments where such configurations might be stabilized.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for KC, 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.
Synthesis Routes
Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting KC.
Applications
Where KC is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about KC, answered from cross-validated data.
What is KC?
KC is an insulating, metastable binary compound of potassium and carbon that exists in a variety of structural forms.
What is KC used for?
What is the band gap of KC?
Is KC a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is KC thermodynamically stable?
How many polymorphs of KC are known?
How is KC synthesized?
What elements does KC contain?
Where does the data for KC come from?
How It Compares
As a unique phase within the potassium-carbon system, KC represents a distinct structural arrangement that does not fall into the typical categories of graphite intercalation compounds. It serves as a specialized case study for understanding the limits of stoichiometry and structural stability in alkali-metal carbon systems.
Data sources & attribution
- latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform
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