NdF3

Neodymium trifluoride · Neodymium(III) fluoride

Neodymium trifluoride is a stable, insulating rare-earth compound widely utilized for its specialized optical properties in laser technology and glass manufacturing.

FNd
Crystal structure of NdF3 (trigonal, P-3c1 (No. 165))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About Neodymium trifluoride

Neodymium trifluoride is a robust, thermodynamically stable inorganic compound characterized by its insulating electronic nature. Its structural integrity is well-documented, with numerous reported crystalline arrangements that underscore its reliability in solid-state chemistry.

This material is primarily valued for its optical properties, serving as a critical component in the development of advanced glass and laser systems. Its ability to maintain stability under various conditions makes it a foundational choice for high-performance optical applications.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for Neodymium trifluoride, aggregated across 3 databases.

Band Gap

5.44–7.80 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

On hull (stable)
2 DFT sources

Structures

17
3 databases, 8 space groups
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for NdF3, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
P-3c1 (No. 165)trigonal7.620.0000-14.1516.55
P63cm (No. 185)hexagonal7.800.0015-14.1506.56
P6322 (No. 182)hexagonal5.640.2376-13.9146.46
P63/mcm (No. 193)hexagonal5.440.2396-13.9126.46
P-1 (No. 2)Triclinic6.92
P63/mcm (No. 193)
P21/m (No. 11)Monoclinic5.86
P-1 (No. 2)Triclinic6.50
P-1 (No. 2)Triclinic7.21
P-1 (No. 2)Triclinic5.70
P-1 (No. 2)Triclinic5.60
Cmcm (No. 63)Orthorhombic6.15
Uses

Applications

Where Neodymium trifluoride is used.

Optical coatingsLaser materialsDopant for fluoride glassesElectrolytic production of neodymium metal
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Neodymium trifluoride, answered from cross-validated data.

What is NdF3?

Neodymium trifluoride is a stable, insulating rare-earth compound widely utilized for its specialized optical properties in laser technology and glass manufacturing.

More questions
What is NdF3 used for?
Neodymium trifluoride (NdF3) is used in optical coatings, laser materials, dopant for fluoride glasses, and electrolytic production of neodymium metal.
What is the band gap of NdF3?
Neodymium trifluoride (NdF3) has a DFT-computed band gap of 5.44–7.80 eV across 17 reported structures.
Is NdF3 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a wide band gap up to 7.80 eV it is an insulator / wide-band-gap material.
Is NdF3 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — Neodymium trifluoride (NdF3) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. on hull (stable).
What is the crystal structure of NdF3?
The lowest-energy reported polymorph of Neodymium trifluoride (NdF3) is trigonal symmetry, space group P-3c1 (No. 165).
What is the density of NdF3?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of Neodymium trifluoride (NdF3) is 6.55 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of NdF3 are known?
17 structures of NdF3 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 8 distinct space groups.
What elements does NdF3 contain?
Neodymium trifluoride (NdF3) contains F and Nd (2 elements).
Where does the data for NdF3 come from?
NdF3 data is cross-referenced from materials_project, mpaloe, jarvis.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a stable fluoride, this compound serves as a key representative of its class, functioning as a benchmark material for rare-earth fluoride applications where high transparency and insulating behavior are required.

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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