NiF3

NiF3 is a thermodynamically stable semiconducting nickel fluoride compound known for its significant structural diversity.

FNi
Crystal structure of NiF3 (trigonal, R-3 (No. 148))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About NiF3

NiF3 is a semiconducting nickel fluoride compound that occupies a distinct position on the thermodynamic convex hull. Its stability and electronic character make it a subject of significant interest for researchers investigating high-oxidation state metal fluorides. The material is characterized by a high degree of structural diversity, as evidenced by the numerous reported configurations found across major materials databases. This extensive structural data suggests a complex landscape for potential applications in specialized chemical and electronic systems. As a stable inorganic fluoride, it serves as a foundational material for exploring the interplay between transition metal oxidation states and fluorine coordination. Its semiconducting nature provides a basis for further study into how these electronic properties can be leveraged in future material design.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for NiF3, aggregated across 3 databases.

Band Gap

0.33 eV
Range across DFT structures · ground state: narrow gap

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Stable
3 DFT sources

Structures

73
3 databases, 13 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of NiF3. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.

Agreement Score

1.00 / 1.00
Trust tier: high

Hull Spread

0.000 eV
EAH spread across sources

Sources Compared

3
jarvis, materials_project, oqmd

Space Group Consensus

All match
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for NiF3, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
R-3 (No. 148)trigonal0.950.0000-4.7184.54
R-3 (No. 148)trigonal0.330.0000-1.685—
——0.000.0000-1.833—
R-3 (No. 148)trigonal0.330.0006-1.684—
R-3c (No. 167)trigonal0.000.0071-4.7114.54
——0.000.0128-1.820—
——0.000.0177-1.815—
——0.330.0213-1.812—
——0.300.0692-1.764—
——0.300.0708-1.762—
——0.000.0794-1.754—
P-1 (No. 2)triclinic1.760.0829-4.6353.13
Uses

Applications

Where NiF3 is used.

Fundamental materials researchHigh-oxidation state chemistry studiesAdvanced inorganic synthesis
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about NiF3, answered from cross-validated data.

What is NiF3?

NiF3 is a thermodynamically stable semiconducting nickel fluoride compound known for its significant structural diversity.

More questions
What is NiF3 used for?
NiF3 is used in fundamental materials research, high-oxidation state chemistry studies, and advanced inorganic synthesis.
What is the band gap of NiF3?
NiF3 has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.33 eV across 73 reported structures. Standard DFT underestimates band gaps, so the measured gap is typically larger.
Is NiF3 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
DFT predicts a band gap of up to 0.33 eV (a semiconductor). Measured gaps are typically larger.
Is NiF3 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — NiF3 sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. stable.
What is the crystal structure of NiF3?
The reference structure of NiF3 is trigonal symmetry, space group R-3 (No. 148).
What is the density of NiF3?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of NiF3 is 4.54 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of NiF3 are known?
73 structures of NiF3 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 13 distinct space groups.
What elements does NiF3 contain?
NiF3 contains F and Ni (2 elements).
Where does the data for NiF3 come from?
NiF3 data is cross-referenced from materials_project, jarvis, oqmd, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a thermodynamically stable fluoride, NiF3 represents a key reference point for high-oxidation state nickel systems. While it exists as an individual entry in this context, it functions as a critical benchmark for understanding the stability limits of nickel-fluorine bonding environments compared to more conventional, lower-oxidation state fluoride counterparts.

Data sources & attribution
  • materials_project — Data from the Materials Project (materialsproject.org). Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013). (CC-BY-4.0)
  • jarvis — Data from JARVIS (jarvis.nist.gov), NIST. Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020). (LicenseRef-US-Gov-PD)
  • oqmd — Data from the OQMD (oqmd.org). Cite: Saal et al., JOM 65, 1501 (2013); Kirklin et al., npj Comp. Mater. 1, 15010 (2015). (CC-BY-4.0)
  • mpaloe — Data from MP-ALOE. Cite: Kuner et al., npj Comput. Mater. (2025), doi:10.1038/s41524-025-01834-9.

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