MgAl
MgAl is a metallic binary alloy of magnesium and aluminum that is considered a viable candidate for synthesis due to its favorable thermodynamic stability.
About MgAl
MgAl is a metallic binary compound formed from magnesium and aluminum. It exhibits a characteristic metallic electronic structure, lacking an insulating band gap, which defines its conductive nature and potential for various metallurgical applications. The compound is recognized for its structural complexity, supported by numerous reported configurations across scientific databases. Its status as a near-hull phase suggests that it is thermodynamically accessible and likely synthesizable under appropriate experimental conditions.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for MgAl, aggregated across 3 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.
Reported Structures
Lowest-energy structures reported for MgAl, ranked by energy above hull.
| Space GroupSymmetry classification of the crystal arrangement. The number is the international space-group index. | Crystal SystemBroad lattice family, such as cubic, tetragonal, monoclinic, or triclinic, derived from unit-cell symmetry. | Band Gap (eV)Electronic gap calculated for this specific reported structure, measured in electronvolts. | E above hull (eV/atom)Thermodynamic distance from the convex hull for this structure, normalized per atom. Lower is generally more stable. | E/atom (eV)Computed total energy normalized per atom. Use energy above hull, not this value alone, when comparing stability. | Density (g/cm³)Mass per relaxed crystal volume, reported in grams per cubic centimeter. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P4/mmm (No. 123) | tetragonal | 0.00 | 0.0245 | -2.674 | 2.27 |
| Pmma (No. 51) | orthorhombic | 0.00 | 0.0547 | -2.644 | 2.27 |
| P-6m2 (No. 187) | hexagonal | 0.00 | 0.0638 | -2.634 | 2.26 |
| R-3m (No. 166) | trigonal | 0.00 | 0.0753 | -2.623 | 2.20 |
| Pm-3m (No. 221) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.0902 | -2.608 | 2.21 |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.4712 | -2.227 | 1.79 |
| P63/mmc (No. 194) | hexagonal | 0.00 | 0.6275 | -2.071 | 1.44 |
| F-43m (No. 216) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.9133 | -1.785 | 1.28 |
| Cm (No. 8) | Monoclinic | — | — | — | 1.64 |
| Pm-3m (No. 221) | Cubic | — | — | — | 2.21 |
| P1 (No. 1) | Triclinic | — | — | — | 1.50 |
| Pm (No. 6) | Monoclinic | — | — | — | 1.41 |
Synthesis Routes
Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting MgAl.
Applications
Where MgAl is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about MgAl, answered from cross-validated data.
What is MgAl?
MgAl is a metallic binary alloy of magnesium and aluminum that is considered a viable candidate for synthesis due to its favorable thermodynamic stability.
What is MgAl used for?
What is the band gap of MgAl?
Is MgAl a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is MgAl thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of MgAl?
What is the density of MgAl?
How many polymorphs of MgAl are known?
How is MgAl synthesized?
What elements does MgAl contain?
Where does the data for MgAl come from?
How It Compares
As a binary metallic phase, MgAl represents a fundamental study in the interaction between magnesium and aluminum, serving as a baseline for understanding the broader landscape of light-metal intermetallic compounds.
Data sources & attribution
- materials_project — Data from the Materials Project. Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013).
- mpaloe — Data from mpaloe.
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