Ni3P

trinickel phosphide · nickel phosphide

Ni3P is a stable, metallic nickel phosphide compound frequently studied for its role in catalytic energy conversion processes.

Crystal structure of Ni3P (tetragonal, I-4 (No. 82))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About trinickel phosphide

Ni3P is a robust transition-metal phosphide that sits firmly on the thermodynamic convex hull, indicating high structural stability. Its metallic electronic character makes it an intriguing candidate for charge-transfer processes in electrochemical environments.

As a member of the nickel-phosphorus system, this compound is primarily investigated for its catalytic properties. Its structural integrity and electronic behavior are essential for researchers aiming to develop efficient, durable materials for energy-related chemical reactions.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for trinickel phosphide, aggregated across 4 databases.

Band Gap

Metallic / not reported

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

On hull (stable)
3 DFT sources

Structures

22
4 databases, 6 space groups
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for Ni3P, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
I-4 (No. 82)tetragonal0.000.0000-11.6618.10
P1 (No. 1)Triclinic5.82
P1 (No. 1)Triclinic5.74
P1 (No. 1)Triclinic6.10
P21/m (No. 11)Monoclinic5.72
P21/m (No. 11)Monoclinic5.56
P21/m (No. 11)Monoclinic4.94
P21/m (No. 11)Monoclinic5.44
P-1 (No. 2)Triclinic4.06
P21/m (No. 11)Monoclinic3.84
C2 (No. 5)Monoclinic6.32
I-4 (No. 82)Tetragonal7.88
Synthesis

Synthesis Routes

Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting Ni3P.

Sol-Gel
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Uses

Applications

Where trinickel phosphide is used.

ElectrocatalysisHydrogen evolution reactionChemical synthesis catalysts
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about trinickel phosphide, answered from cross-validated data.

What is Ni3P?

Ni3P is a stable, metallic nickel phosphide compound frequently studied for its role in catalytic energy conversion processes.

More questions
What is Ni3P used for?
trinickel phosphide (Ni3P) is used in electrocatalysis, hydrogen evolution reaction, and chemical synthesis catalysts.
What is the band gap of Ni3P?
trinickel phosphide (Ni3P) is computed to be metallic (no band gap) in the reported DFT structures.
Is Ni3P a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Computed band structures report no gap, so it is metallic.
Is Ni3P thermodynamically stable?
Yes — trinickel phosphide (Ni3P) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. on hull (stable).
What is the crystal structure of Ni3P?
The lowest-energy reported polymorph of trinickel phosphide (Ni3P) is tetragonal symmetry, space group I-4 (No. 82).
What is the density of Ni3P?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of trinickel phosphide (Ni3P) is 8.10 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of Ni3P are known?
22 structures of Ni3P are reported across 4 databases, spanning 6 distinct space groups.
How is Ni3P synthesized?
Literature-reported routes for Ni3P include sol-gel.
What elements does Ni3P contain?
trinickel phosphide (Ni3P) contains Ni and P (2 elements).
Where does the data for Ni3P come from?
Ni3P data is cross-referenced from materials_project, mpaloe, omat24, jarvis.
Comparison

How It Compares

Within the transition-metal phosphide catalysts class.

Within the diverse family of transition-metal phosphides, Ni3P distinguishes itself through its specific stoichiometry compared to phosphorus-rich counterparts like NiP2 or Ni2P4. While many siblings such as Ni2P are frequently highlighted for their hydrogen evolution performance, Ni3P provides a unique structural baseline for understanding how metal-to-phosphorus ratios influence the catalytic activity and electronic density of states across the nickel phosphide series.

Explore

Related Compounds

Other Transition-Metal Phosphide Catalysts in the database.

Data sources & attribution
  • materials_project — Data from the Materials Project. Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013).
  • mpaloe — Data from mpaloe.
  • omat24 — Data from OMat24 (Meta FAIR). Cite: Barroso-Luque et al., arXiv 2410.12771 (2024).
  • jarvis — Data from JARVIS (NIST). Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020).

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