KSnSe2

KSnSe2 is a thermodynamically stable semiconducting material used in advanced photovoltaic and optoelectronic research.

Crystal structure of KSnSe2 (tetragonal, I4/mcm (No. 140))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About KSnSe2

KSnSe2 is a semiconducting compound composed of potassium, tin, and selenium. As a stable member of the broader halide perovskite and related chalcogenide family, it sits securely on the convex hull, indicating robust thermodynamic stability under standard conditions.

This material is of significant interest in the development of next-generation optoelectronic devices. Its specific electronic character makes it a candidate for research into efficient light-harvesting applications, contributing to the ongoing exploration of non-toxic or alternative semiconductor architectures.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for KSnSe2, aggregated across 3 databases.

Band Gap

1.36 eV
Range across DFT structures · ground state: narrow gap

Energy Above Hull

0.035 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Metastable
3 DFT sources

Structures

7
3 databases, 2 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of KSnSe2. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.

Agreement Score

0.76 / 1.00
Trust tier: medium

Hull Spread

0.061 eV
EAH spread across sources

Sources Compared

3
jarvis, materials_project, oqmd

Space Group Consensus

Mixed (most: I4/mcm (No. 140))
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for KSnSe2, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
——1.360.0348-0.773—
I4/mcm (No. 140)tetragonal0.000.0476-0.779—
I4/mcm (No. 140)tetragonal0.000.0630-0.763—
——0.000.0910-0.717—
I4cm (No. 108)tetragonal0.000.0956-3.9444.29
I4cm (No. 108)tetragonal———4.42
I4cm (No. 108)tetragonal———4.44
I4cm (No. 108)tetragonal———4.29
Uses

Applications

Where KSnSe2 is used.

Photovoltaic researchOptoelectronic device developmentSemiconductor material studies
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about KSnSe2, answered from cross-validated data.

What is KSnSe2?

KSnSe2 is a thermodynamically stable semiconducting material used in advanced photovoltaic and optoelectronic research.

More questions
What is KSnSe2 used for?
KSnSe2 is used in photovoltaic research, optoelectronic device development, and semiconductor material studies.
What is the band gap of KSnSe2?
KSnSe2 has a DFT-computed band gap of 1.36 eV across 7 reported structures. Standard DFT underestimates band gaps, so the measured gap is typically larger.
Is KSnSe2 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
DFT predicts a band gap of up to 1.36 eV (a semiconductor). Measured gaps are typically larger.
Is KSnSe2 thermodynamically stable?
KSnSe2 has a lowest energy above hull of 0.035 eV/atom (metastable).
What is the crystal structure of KSnSe2?
The reference structure of KSnSe2 is tetragonal symmetry, space group I4/mcm (No. 140).
How many polymorphs of KSnSe2 are known?
7 structures of KSnSe2 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 2 distinct space groups.
What elements does KSnSe2 contain?
KSnSe2 contains K, Se, and Sn (3 elements).
Where does the data for KSnSe2 come from?
KSnSe2 data is cross-referenced from oqmd, jarvis, materials_project, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

Within the halide perovskite photovoltaics class.

Within the diverse landscape of halide perovskite-related materials, KSnSe2 distinguishes itself through its specific elemental composition compared to more traditional halide-based counterparts like CsSnI3 or CsPbBr3. While many members of this class rely on halide anions, the use of selenium in KSnSe2 shifts its electronic properties, positioning it as a distinct alternative for researchers looking to move beyond standard perovskite chemistries.

Explore

Related Compounds

Other Halide Perovskite Photovoltaics in the database.

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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