NO2

nitrogen dioxide · NO2

Nitrogen dioxide is a thermodynamically stable, semiconducting oxide of nitrogen that plays a key role in atmospheric chemistry and industrial processes.

NO
Crystal structure of NO2 (cubic, Im-3 (No. 204))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About nitrogen dioxide

Nitrogen dioxide is a prominent nitrogen oxide that exists as a semiconducting molecule. Its thermodynamic stability on the convex hull makes it a significant subject of study in both fundamental chemistry and atmospheric science. The compound is characterized by its distinct reactivity and role as a critical intermediate in various industrial and environmental processes. Given its structural diversity, it is frequently investigated across multiple experimental and computational databases to better understand its molecular behavior. This compound serves as a vital component in the study of nitrogen-based species, providing insights into gas-phase kinetics and oxidation mechanisms. Its presence is widely monitored due to its role in atmospheric cycles and its impact on air quality, marking it as a highly relevant species in chemical research.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for nitrogen dioxide, aggregated across 4 databases.

Band Gap

0.89–2.83 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

On hull (stable)
2 DFT sources

Structures

22
4 databases, 6 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of NO2. 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 NO2, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
Im-3 (No. 204)cubic2.830.0000-6.7642.00
P21/c (No. 14)monoclinic2.700.0015-6.7621.99
Im-3 (No. 204)cubic2.780.0268-6.7371.46
I213 (No. 199)cubic0.890.1793-6.5841.22
P21/c (No. 14)monoclinic1.510.7026-6.0611.66
P21/c (No. 14)monoclinic1.022.4342-4.3301.23
P21/m (No. 11)
No. 0unknown0.47
P1 (No. 1)
P21/c (No. 14)
I213 (No. 199)
P21/c (No. 14)Monoclinic1.65
Uses

Applications

Where nitrogen dioxide is used.

atmospheric chemistry researchchemical synthesis intermediatenitric acid productionoxidizing agent
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about nitrogen dioxide, answered from cross-validated data.

What is NO2?

Nitrogen dioxide is a thermodynamically stable, semiconducting oxide of nitrogen that plays a key role in atmospheric chemistry and industrial processes.

More questions
What is NO2 used for?
nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is used in atmospheric chemistry research, chemical synthesis intermediate, nitric acid production, and oxidizing agent.
What is the band gap of NO2?
nitrogen dioxide (NO2) has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.89–2.83 eV across 22 reported structures.
Is NO2 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a band gap up to 2.83 eV it is a semiconductor.
Is NO2 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — nitrogen dioxide (NO2) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. on hull (stable).
What is the crystal structure of NO2?
The lowest-energy reported polymorph of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is cubic symmetry, space group Im-3 (No. 204).
What is the density of NO2?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is 2.00 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of NO2 are known?
22 structures of NO2 are reported across 4 databases, spanning 6 distinct space groups.
What elements does NO2 contain?
nitrogen dioxide (NO2) contains N and O (2 elements).
Where does the data for NO2 come from?
NO2 data is cross-referenced from materials_project, jarvis, cod, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a fundamental nitrogen oxide, nitrogen dioxide holds a unique position in chemical research, serving as a primary reference point for understanding the behavior of small, stable nitrogen-oxygen species in various environmental and industrial contexts.

Data sources & attribution
  • materials_project — Data from the Materials Project. Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013).
  • jarvis — Data from JARVIS (NIST). Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020).
  • cod — Data from the Crystallography Open Database. Cite: Grazulis et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 40, D420 (2012).
  • mpaloe — Data from mpaloe.

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