La2S3

lanthanum sulfide · lanthanum sesquisulfide

Lanthanum sulfide is a stable semiconducting material composed of lanthanum and sulfur that is widely studied for its diverse structural phases.

LaS
Crystal structure of La2S3 (orthorhombic, Pnma (No. 62))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About lanthanum sulfide

Lanthanum sulfide is a robust, thermodynamically stable compound that crystallizes in a variety of structural arrangements. As a semiconducting material, it serves as a foundational building block for specialized electronic and optoelectronic components where stable sulfide chemistry is required.

Its significance lies in its ability to maintain structural integrity under diverse conditions, making it a subject of extensive investigation across multiple databases. Researchers utilize this compound to explore the intersection of rare-earth chemistry and semiconductor physics for next-generation device development.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for lanthanum sulfide, aggregated across 5 databases.

Band Gap

1.04–2.85 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

15
5 databases, 4 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of La2S3. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.

Agreement Score

1.00 / 1.00
Trust tier: medium

Hull Spread

0.000 eV
EAH spread across sources

Sources Compared

2
materials_project, oqmd

Space Group Consensus

—
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for La2S3, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
——1.170.0000-2.371—
Pnma (No. 62)orthorhombic1.040.0000-19.2274.93
I-42d (No. 122)tetragonal1.920.0197-19.2074.92
——2.850.0558-2.315—
C2/m (No. 12)monoclinic———6.59
Pnma (No. 62)orthorhombic———4.92
C2/m (No. 12)monoclinic———4.72
Pnma (No. 62)orthorhombic———4.94
Pnma (No. 62)orthorhombic———4.92
Pnma (No. 62)orthorhombic———4.82
C2/m (No. 12)monoclinic———4.61
Pnma (No. 62)orthorhombic———4.94
Uses

Applications

Where lanthanum sulfide is used.

Optical coatingsSemiconductor researchLuminescent materialsSolid-state electronics
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about lanthanum sulfide, answered from cross-validated data.

What is La2S3?

Lanthanum sulfide is a stable semiconducting material composed of lanthanum and sulfur that is widely studied for its diverse structural phases.

More questions
What is La2S3 used for?
lanthanum sulfide (La2S3) is used in optical coatings, semiconductor research, luminescent materials, and solid-state electronics.
What is the band gap of La2S3?
lanthanum sulfide (La2S3) has a DFT-computed band gap of 1.04–2.85 eV across 15 reported structures. Standard DFT underestimates band gaps, so the measured gap is typically larger.
Is La2S3 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
DFT predicts a band gap of up to 2.85 eV (a semiconductor). Measured gaps are typically larger.
Is La2S3 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — lanthanum sulfide (La2S3) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. stable.
What is the crystal structure of La2S3?
The reference structure of lanthanum sulfide (La2S3) is orthorhombic symmetry, space group Pnma (No. 62).
What is the density of La2S3?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of lanthanum sulfide (La2S3) is 4.93 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of La2S3 are known?
15 structures of La2S3 are reported across 5 databases, spanning 4 distinct space groups.
What elements does La2S3 contain?
lanthanum sulfide (La2S3) contains La and S (2 elements).
Where does the data for La2S3 come from?
La2S3 data is cross-referenced from oqmd, materials_project, mpaloe, cod, alexandria.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a stable binary sulfide, La2S3 represents a key reference point for lanthanum-based chalcogenides. It occupies a prominent position in materials research due to its structural versatility and reliable semiconducting behavior, serving as a primary model for studying the electronic properties of rare-earth sulfides.

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)
  • 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)
  • alexandria — Data from Alexandria. Cite: Schmidt et al., npj Comput. Mater. 10, 200 (2024). (CC-BY-4.0)

Analyze La2S3 in the Lattice Graph platform

Polymorph comparison, confidence scoring, supply-chain risk, and patent monitoring — across 85 source databases.

Explore the Platform →
Results are informational and should be validated by qualified professionals. See Terms of Service