N2
nitrogen gas · dinitrogen, molecular nitrogen
Nitrogen gas is a stable, inert diatomic molecule that constitutes the vast majority of the Earth's atmosphere.
About nitrogen gas
Nitrogen gas is a highly stable, diatomic molecule that exists as a wide-band-gap insulator under standard conditions. As a thermodynamically stable species, it serves as the primary component of the Earth's atmosphere and is essential for maintaining chemical inertness in various environments.
Due to its robust molecular structure, this compound is widely utilized in industrial processes that require an oxygen-free atmosphere. Its prevalence and stability make it a fundamental building block in chemical synthesis and cryogenic technology.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for nitrogen gas, aggregated across 5 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 N2, 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P213 (No. 198) | cubic | 7.34 | 0.0000 | -9.129 | 0.95 |
| R-3c (No. 167) | trigonal | 6.96 | 0.0017 | -9.127 | 1.00 |
| Pa-3 (No. 205) | cubic | 7.37 | 0.0018 | -9.127 | 1.08 |
| P42/mnm (No. 136) | tetragonal | 6.74 | 0.0024 | -9.126 | 1.04 |
| P63/mmc (No. 194) | hexagonal | 6.56 | 0.0115 | -9.117 | 0.88 |
| Imma (No. 74) | orthorhombic | 0.00 | 1.0378 | -8.091 | 1.63 |
| Pnma (No. 62) | orthorhombic | 0.00 | 1.0883 | -8.040 | 2.12 |
| I213 (No. 199) | cubic | 3.96 | 1.4681 | -7.661 | 3.44 |
| I-43m (No. 217) | cubic | 0.00 | 1.9142 | -7.215 | 1.70 |
| Pmna (No. 53) | orthorhombic | 0.46 | 2.0045 | -7.124 | 1.58 |
| Pmna (No. 53) | orthorhombic | 0.27 | 2.1774 | -6.951 | 0.96 |
| I4/mmm (No. 139) | tetragonal | 0.00 | 3.0986 | -6.030 | 2.93 |
Applications
Where nitrogen gas is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about nitrogen gas, answered from cross-validated data.
What is N2?
Nitrogen gas is a stable, inert diatomic molecule that constitutes the vast majority of the Earth's atmosphere.
What is N2 used for?
What is the band gap of N2?
Is N2 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is N2 thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of N2?
What is the density of N2?
How many polymorphs of N2 are known?
What elements does N2 contain?
Where does the data for N2 come from?
How It Compares
As a fundamental diatomic molecule, nitrogen gas serves as the primary reference point for nitrogen-based materials, defining the baseline stability for nitrogen chemistry in the gas phase.
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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