NaHCO3
sodium bicarbonate · baking soda, sodium hydrogen carbonate
Sodium bicarbonate is a stable, white crystalline solid commonly used as a leavening agent in baking and as a versatile chemical buffer in various industrial and medical applications.

About sodium bicarbonate
Sodium bicarbonate is a thermodynamically stable compound that functions as a wide-gap insulator. Its chemical structure allows it to participate in various acid-base reactions, making it a fundamental component in both natural and industrial chemical processes. The material is characterized by its high stability, ensuring consistent performance across diverse environments.
Due to its reliable chemical behavior, this compound is extensively utilized in applications ranging from leavening agents in culinary arts to buffering agents in pharmaceutical formulations. Its ability to release carbon dioxide under specific conditions makes it an essential reagent in fire suppression and cleaning technologies.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for sodium bicarbonate, aggregated across 3 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.
Applications
Where sodium bicarbonate is used.
Patent Landscape
1 patent reference NaHCO3 or close compositional variants.
| Patent | Title | Assignee | Granted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9382127 | Catalytic CO2 desorption on the interface between NaHCO3 and multifunctional nanoporous TiO(OH)2 | — | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about sodium bicarbonate, answered from cross-validated data.
What is NaHCO3?
Sodium bicarbonate is a stable, white crystalline solid commonly used as a leavening agent in baking and as a versatile chemical buffer in various industrial and medical applications.
What is NaHCO3 used for?
What is the band gap of NaHCO3?
Is NaHCO3 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is NaHCO3 thermodynamically stable?
How many polymorphs of NaHCO3 are known?
What elements does NaHCO3 contain?
Where does the data for NaHCO3 come from?
How It Compares
As a highly stable and well-documented inorganic compound, sodium bicarbonate serves as a benchmark for reactivity and safety within its chemical class. It is distinguished by its widespread availability and predictable behavior, setting a standard for utility compared to more specialized or less stable chemical derivatives.
Data sources & attribution
- latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform
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