MgZn

MgZn is a metastable metallic intermetallic compound formed from magnesium and zinc.

MgZn
Crystal structure of MgZn (orthorhombic, Pmma (No. 51))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About MgZn

MgZn is a metallic intermetallic compound composed of magnesium and zinc. As a metastable phase, it represents a complex structural arrangement that is a subject of significant interest in condensed matter physics and metallurgy.

Due to its metallic nature, the compound is characterized by high electrical conductivity and typical metallic bonding. Its existence is supported by extensive data across multiple structural databases, highlighting its importance in the study of binary alloy systems.

At a glance

Key Properties

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

Band Gap

Metallic / not reported

Energy Above Hull

0.033 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Metastable
3 DFT sources

Structures

101
5 databases, 19 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of MgZn. 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
Crystallography

Reported Structures

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

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
Pmma (No. 51)orthorhombic0.000.0331-1.5184.30
Pm-3m (No. 221)cubic0.000.0432-1.5084.29
Amm2 (No. 38)orthorhombic0.000.0447-1.5074.28
P63/mmc (No. 194)hexagonal0.000.0489-1.5024.24
P4/mmm (No. 123)tetragonal0.000.0533-1.4984.30
Amm2 (No. 38)orthorhombic0.000.0670-1.4843.93
C2/m (No. 12)monoclinic0.000.0712-1.4804.21
Amm2 (No. 38)orthorhombic0.000.0826-1.4694.09
C2 (No. 5)monoclinic0.000.0846-1.4674.03
Cm (No. 8)monoclinic0.000.0952-1.4564.09
Amm2 (No. 38)orthorhombic0.000.1000-1.4514.02
Amm2 (No. 38)orthorhombic0.000.1012-1.4504.02
Uses

Applications

Where MgZn is used.

Materials science researchAlloy development studiesStructural phase analysis
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

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

What is MgZn?

MgZn is a metastable metallic intermetallic compound formed from magnesium and zinc.

More questions
What is MgZn used for?
MgZn is used in materials science research, alloy development studies, and structural phase analysis.
What is the band gap of MgZn?
MgZn is computed to be metallic (no band gap) in the reported DFT structures.
Is MgZn a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Computed band structures report no gap, so it is metallic.
Is MgZn thermodynamically stable?
MgZn has a lowest energy above hull of 0.033 eV/atom (metastable).
What is the crystal structure of MgZn?
The lowest-energy reported polymorph of MgZn is orthorhombic symmetry, space group Pmma (No. 51).
What is the density of MgZn?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of MgZn is 4.30 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of MgZn are known?
101 structures of MgZn are reported across 5 databases, spanning 19 distinct space groups.
What elements does MgZn contain?
MgZn contains Mg and Zn (2 elements).
Where does the data for MgZn come from?
MgZn data is cross-referenced from materials_project, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a binary intermetallic compound, MgZn serves as a foundational example of the complex structural diversity found in magnesium-zinc alloy systems, where multiple metastable phases often compete for stability depending on processing conditions.

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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