NO

Nitric oxide · Nitrogen monoxide

Nitric oxide is a reactive, semiconducting diatomic molecule that functions as a crucial signaling agent in biological systems and a key intermediate in atmospheric chemistry.

NO
Crystal structure of NO
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About Nitric oxide

Nitric oxide is a simple diatomic molecule consisting of nitrogen and oxygen. As a semiconducting species, it plays a vital role in various chemical and biological processes, acting as a fundamental signaling agent in mammalian physiology. Its electronic configuration makes it highly reactive and central to atmospheric chemistry.

Despite its significance, this compound is considered thermodynamically unstable relative to its constituent elements. It has been extensively characterized across multiple structural databases, reflecting its importance in both fundamental research and industrial applications.

At a glance

Key Properties

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

Band Gap

0.18 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.545 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Above hull
2 DFT sources

Structures

16
4 databases, 7 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of NO. 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 NO.

Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Uses

Applications

Where Nitric oxide is used.

Biological signalingAtmospheric researchChemical synthesisMedical therapy
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

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

What is NO?

Nitric oxide is a reactive, semiconducting diatomic molecule that functions as a crucial signaling agent in biological systems and a key intermediate in atmospheric chemistry.

More questions
What is NO used for?
Nitric oxide (NO) is used in biological signaling, atmospheric research, chemical synthesis, and medical therapy.
What is the band gap of NO?
Nitric oxide (NO) has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.18 eV across 16 reported structures.
Is NO a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a band gap up to 0.18 eV it is a semiconductor.
Is NO thermodynamically stable?
Nitric oxide (NO) has a lowest energy above hull of 0.545 eV/atom (above hull).
How many polymorphs of NO are known?
16 structures of NO are reported across 4 databases, spanning 7 distinct space groups.
How is NO synthesized?
Literature-reported routes for NO include sol gel, solid state (10 procedures documented).
What elements does NO contain?
Nitric oxide (NO) contains N and O (2 elements).
Where does the data for NO come from?
NO data is cross-referenced from latticegraph.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a unique diatomic nitrogen oxide, this compound serves as a critical reference point for understanding the bonding and reactivity of nitrogen-oxygen systems, standing as one of the most essential and widely studied small molecules in the chemical sciences.

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

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