MgF2
Magnesium fluoride · Sellaite
Magnesium fluoride is a transparent, stable insulating compound primarily used for its excellent optical properties in lens coatings and specialized glass components.

About Magnesium fluoride
Magnesium fluoride is a thermodynamically stable inorganic compound that serves as a critical material in optical engineering. Its wide-gap insulating nature allows it to remain transparent across a broad range of the electromagnetic spectrum, making it an essential component for high-precision optical systems.
Due to its robust stability and favorable physical properties, it is frequently utilized in the production of thin-film coatings. These coatings are vital for reducing reflection and enhancing the performance of lenses and windows in demanding environments.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Magnesium fluoride, 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.
Applications
Where Magnesium fluoride is used.
Patent Landscape
3 patents reference MgF2 or close compositional variants.
| Patent | Title | Assignee | Granted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9963773 | Durable MgO—MgF2 composite film for infrared anti-reflection coatings | — | — |
| 10777330 | MgF2 system fluoride sintered body for radiation moderator and method for producing the same | — | — |
| 9789335 | MgF2—CaF2 binary system sintered body for radiation moderator and method for producing the same | — | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Magnesium fluoride, answered from cross-validated data.
What is MgF2?
Magnesium fluoride is a transparent, stable insulating compound primarily used for its excellent optical properties in lens coatings and specialized glass components.
What is MgF2 used for?
What is the band gap of MgF2?
Is MgF2 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is MgF2 thermodynamically stable?
How many polymorphs of MgF2 are known?
What elements does MgF2 contain?
Where does the data for MgF2 come from?
How It Compares
As a highly stable and well-characterized material, magnesium fluoride stands as a foundational reference point for fluoride-based insulators, representing a standard of reliability in optical and structural applications.
Data sources & attribution
- latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform
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