MgO

magnesium oxide · magnesia, periclase

Magnesium oxide is a stable, insulating ceramic material widely utilized for its high thermal resistance and structural durability.

MgO
Crystal structure of MgO
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About magnesium oxide

Magnesium oxide is a fundamental inorganic compound characterized by its status as a robust, wide-gap insulator. As a thermodynamically stable phase that sits firmly on the convex hull, it exhibits exceptional structural integrity and chemical resistance under demanding conditions.

This material is highly valued in industrial sectors for its ability to withstand extreme thermal environments. Its prevalence in research and manufacturing is underscored by the vast number of documented structural configurations, making it a cornerstone of modern materials science.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for magnesium oxide, aggregated across 4 databases.

Band Gap

1.88–4.43 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

On hull (stable)
2 DFT sources

Structures

653
4 databases, 49 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of MgO. 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
jarvis, materials_project

Space Group Consensus

All match
Synthesis

Synthesis Routes

Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting MgO.

Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Uses

Applications

Where magnesium oxide is used.

refractory lining for furnaceselectrical insulationfireproofing materialscatalyst supportoptical windows
Intellectual Property

Patent Landscape

48 patents reference MgO or close compositional variants.

PatentTitleAssigneeGranted
11152195MgO-based ceramic film, member for semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and method for forming MgO-based cer
11345990MgO sintered sputtering target
7479394MgO/NiFe MTJ for high performance MRAM application
6596041Fused AL2O3-MgO-rare earth oxide eutectic abrasive particles, abrasive articles, and methods of making and usi
9950315Ni—MgO—ZnO solid catalysts for syngas preparation and process for the preparation thereof
5427988Ceramic ferroelectric composite material - BSTO-MgO
4703022Alumina and MgO preheatable insulating refractory liners and methods of use thereof
8821961MgO-based coating for electrically insulating semiconductive substrates and production method thereof
12358810Co3O4/CuO/MgO and (Cu0.97Co0.03)O/MgO/CoO Nanocomposites and method of pechini sol-gel fabricating
8227896Resistive switching in nitrogen-doped MgO
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about magnesium oxide, answered from cross-validated data.

What is MgO?

Magnesium oxide is a stable, insulating ceramic material widely utilized for its high thermal resistance and structural durability.

More questions
What is MgO used for?
magnesium oxide (MgO) is used in refractory lining for furnaces, electrical insulation, fireproofing materials, catalyst support, and optical windows.
What is the band gap of MgO?
magnesium oxide (MgO) has a DFT-computed band gap of 1.88–4.43 eV across 653 reported structures.
Is MgO a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a wide band gap up to 4.43 eV it is an insulator / wide-band-gap material.
Is MgO thermodynamically stable?
Yes — magnesium oxide (MgO) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. on hull (stable).
How many polymorphs of MgO are known?
653 structures of MgO are reported across 4 databases, spanning 49 distinct space groups.
How is MgO synthesized?
Literature-reported routes for MgO include sol gel, solid state (6 procedures documented).
What elements does MgO contain?
magnesium oxide (MgO) contains Mg and O (2 elements).
Where does the data for MgO come from?
MgO data is cross-referenced from latticegraph.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a foundational material, magnesium oxide serves as a primary benchmark for stability and insulating performance within the broader landscape of simple binary oxides.

Data sources & attribution
  • latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform

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