NaPO3
Sodium metaphosphate · Graham's salt
Sodium metaphosphate is a stable, insulating inorganic salt frequently utilized as a sequestering agent and food additive.
About Sodium metaphosphate
Sodium metaphosphate is a structurally diverse material existing in multiple crystalline forms. As a wide-gap insulator, it exhibits robust electronic properties that make it highly stable under standard conditions. Its presence on the convex hull confirms its thermodynamic favorability, reflecting a reliable chemical architecture that supports its widespread utility in various chemical processes. This compound serves as a critical inorganic phosphate source, valued for its ability to modify the properties of aqueous solutions and industrial formulations. Its stability ensures consistent performance in demanding environments, ranging from food additive applications to complex water softening treatments.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Sodium metaphosphate, 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.
Reported Structures
Lowest-energy structures reported for NaPO3, 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P-1 (No. 2) | triclinic | 5.12 | 0.0000 | -6.966 | 2.73 |
| P21/c (No. 14) | monoclinic | 5.16 | 0.0079 | -6.958 | 2.68 |
| Pnma (No. 62) | orthorhombic | 5.08 | 0.0089 | -6.957 | 2.58 |
| P21/c (No. 14) | monoclinic | 5.21 | 0.0121 | -6.954 | 2.65 |
| I41/a (No. 88) | tetragonal | 4.84 | 0.0391 | -6.927 | 2.40 |
| I41/a (No. 88) | tetragonal | 4.84 | 0.0591 | -6.907 | 2.26 |
| P-1 (No. 2) | Triclinic | — | — | — | 2.55 |
| P-1 (No. 2) | Triclinic | — | — | — | 2.72 |
| P-1 (No. 2) | Triclinic | — | — | — | 2.60 |
| R3m (No. 160) | — | — | — | — | — |
| I41/a (No. 88) | — | — | — | — | — |
Synthesis Routes
Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting NaPO3.
Applications
Where Sodium metaphosphate is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Sodium metaphosphate, answered from cross-validated data.
What is NaPO3?
Sodium metaphosphate is a stable, insulating inorganic salt frequently utilized as a sequestering agent and food additive.
What is NaPO3 used for?
What is the band gap of NaPO3?
Is NaPO3 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is NaPO3 thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of NaPO3?
What is the density of NaPO3?
How many polymorphs of NaPO3 are known?
How is NaPO3 synthesized?
What elements does NaPO3 contain?
Where does the data for NaPO3 come from?
How It Compares
As a prominent member of the sodium phosphate family, this compound is distinguished by its unique chain-like or cyclic structural arrangements, which set it apart from simpler orthophosphate salts. It represents a highly stable configuration within its class, offering distinct solubility and sequestering characteristics that are essential for specialized industrial applications where standard phosphates may be less effective.
Data sources & attribution
- materials_project — Data from the Materials Project. Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013).
- mpaloe — Data from mpaloe.
- jarvis — Data from JARVIS (NIST). Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020).
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