MoW

MoW is a thermodynamically stable metallic alloy formed from molybdenum and tungsten.

MoW
Crystal structure of MoW (orthorhombic, Cmmm (No. 65))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About MoW

MoW is a binary metallic alloy composed of molybdenum and tungsten. As a thermodynamically stable phase that sits directly on the convex hull, it represents a robust configuration of these two refractory transition metals. Its metallic nature is consistent with the electronic behavior expected of such transition metal combinations.

This compound is characterized by its high structural diversity, with a significant number of reported structures across major materials databases. This data richness highlights its importance as a fundamental system for studying solid-solution behavior and intermetallic stability in high-temperature metallurgy.

At a glance

Key Properties

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

Band Gap

Metallic / not reported

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Stable
3 DFT sources

Structures

160
5 databases, 33 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

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

Agreement Score

0.00 / 1.00
Trust tier: low

Hull Spread

0.535 eV
EAH spread across sources

Sources Compared

3
jarvis, materials_project, oqmd

Space Group Consensus

Mixed (most: Im-3m (No. 229))
Crystallography

Reported Structures

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

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
Cmmm (No. 65)orthorhombic0.000.0000-38.72014.67
——0.000.0002-0.010—
——0.000.39700.387—
——0.000.47860.468—
Pm-3m (No. 221)cubic0.000.53500.257—
——0.000.61610.606—
——0.001.31301.303—
——0.002.46002.450—
P1 (No. 1)triclinic———17.16
P1 (No. 1)triclinic———12.06
P1 (No. 1)triclinic———14.56
P1 (No. 1)triclinic———15.30
Uses

Applications

Where MoW is used.

Refractory alloy researchHigh-temperature structural materialsFundamental materials science studies
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

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

What is MoW?

MoW is a thermodynamically stable metallic alloy formed from molybdenum and tungsten.

More questions
What is MoW used for?
MoW is used in refractory alloy research, high-temperature structural materials, and fundamental materials science studies.
What is the band gap of MoW?
The reported DFT structures of MoW show no band gap. Standard DFT often misses gaps (especially in transition-metal oxides), so this is not proof the real material is a metal.
Is MoW a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
DFT calculations predict no band gap. Standard DFT can miss gaps, so measurements are needed to confirm metallic behavior.
Is MoW thermodynamically stable?
Yes — MoW sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. stable.
What is the crystal structure of MoW?
The reference structure of MoW is orthorhombic symmetry, space group Cmmm (No. 65).
What is the density of MoW?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of MoW is 14.67 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of MoW are known?
160 structures of MoW are reported across 5 databases, spanning 33 distinct space groups.
What elements does MoW contain?
MoW contains Mo and W (2 elements).
Where does the data for MoW come from?
MoW data is cross-referenced from materials_project, oqmd, jarvis, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a stable binary alloy of two closely related transition metals, MoW serves as a primary model for understanding the alloying behavior of refractory elements. It occupies a central role in the study of molybdenum-tungsten systems, providing a baseline for the structural and electronic properties of these high-performance metallic materials.

Data sources & attribution
  • materials_project — Data from the Materials Project (materialsproject.org). Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013). (CC-BY-4.0)
  • 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)
  • jarvis — Data from JARVIS (jarvis.nist.gov), NIST. Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020). (LicenseRef-US-Gov-PD)
  • mpaloe — Data from MP-ALOE. Cite: Kuner et al., npj Comput. Mater. (2025), doi:10.1038/s41524-025-01834-9.

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