KCuS

KCuS is a thermodynamically stable semiconducting ternary sulfide compound.

CuKS
Crystal structure of KCuS (orthorhombic, Pnma (No. 62))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About KCuS

KCuS is a ternary sulfide compound that exhibits semiconducting electronic behavior. As a thermodynamically stable phase residing on the convex hull, it represents a robust material configuration within its chemical system.

The compound is characterized by significant structural diversity, with multiple reported configurations across various databases. This structural flexibility makes it a subject of interest for researchers investigating the fundamental properties of copper-based chalcogenides.

At a glance

Key Properties

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

Band Gap

0.53–2.15 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

13
3 databases, 1 space group
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

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

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
——2.100.0000-0.864—
Pnma (No. 62)orthorhombic1.920.0000-0.846—
Pnma (No. 62)orthorhombic1.880.0000-4.0452.54
Pnma (No. 62)orthorhombic1.960.0085-0.838—
——2.150.0532-0.811—
——0.540.0624-0.802—
——0.540.0643-0.800—
——0.530.1127-0.752—
——0.820.1642-0.700—
——0.860.5972-0.267—
——0.001.22940.365—
Pnma (No. 62)orthorhombic———2.54
Uses

Applications

Where KCuS is used.

Semiconductor researchSolid-state chemistry studiesMaterials science exploration
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

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

What is KCuS?

KCuS is a thermodynamically stable semiconducting ternary sulfide compound.

More questions
What is KCuS used for?
KCuS is used in semiconductor research, solid-state chemistry studies, and materials science exploration.
What is the band gap of KCuS?
KCuS has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.53–2.15 eV across 13 reported structures. Standard DFT underestimates band gaps, so the measured gap is typically larger.
Is KCuS a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
DFT predicts a band gap of up to 2.15 eV (a semiconductor). Measured gaps are typically larger.
Is KCuS thermodynamically stable?
Yes — KCuS sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. stable.
What is the crystal structure of KCuS?
The reference structure of KCuS is orthorhombic symmetry, space group Pnma (No. 62).
How many polymorphs of KCuS are known?
13 structures of KCuS are reported across 3 databases, spanning 1 distinct space group.
What elements does KCuS contain?
KCuS contains Cu, K, and S (3 elements).
Where does the data for KCuS come from?
KCuS data is cross-referenced from oqmd, jarvis, materials_project, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a stable ternary sulfide, KCuS serves as a foundational example of this specific chemical class, providing a benchmark for stability and electronic behavior in related copper-sulfur frameworks.

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.

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