NiO
Nickel(II) oxide · Bunsenite
Nickel(II) oxide is a stable, semiconducting binary oxide frequently employed as a catalyst for oxygen-evolution processes.

About Nickel(II) oxide
Nickel(II) oxide is a robust, thermodynamically stable binary oxide that functions as a semiconducting material. Its structural simplicity and high chemical stability make it a fundamental building block in materials science, particularly for researchers investigating surface-active oxygen-evolution catalysts.
Due to its extensive characterization across numerous structural databases, this compound serves as a reliable benchmark for catalytic performance. It is widely utilized in the development of electrochemical cells and energy conversion technologies where reliable oxygen-evolution kinetics are required.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Nickel(II) oxide, aggregated across 4 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.
Cross-Source DFT Agreement
How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of NiO. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.
Agreement ScoreA normalized confidence score summarizing how closely independent DFT databases agree. Higher scores mean tighter cross-source agreement.
Hull SpreadDifference between the highest and lowest energy-above-hull values reported by comparable sources. Smaller spread means less thermodynamic disagreement.
Sources ComparedNumber and names of computational sources with comparable entries for this formula.
Space Group ConsensusWhether independent sources predict the same crystal symmetry for the lowest-energy structure.
Synthesis Routes
Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting NiO.
Applications
Where Nickel(II) oxide is used.
Patent Landscape
11 patents reference NiO or close compositional variants.
| Patent | Title | Assignee | Granted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11396698 | ALD process for NiO film with tunable carbon content | — | — |
| 11795555 | Method of making NiO nanoparticles for electrocatalytic water splitting | — | — |
| 11444334 | Nickel oxide (NiO) nano-sheets based electrochromic energy storage device | — | — |
| 6398924 | Spin valve sensor with improved pinning field between nickel oxide (NiO) pinning layer and pinned layer | — | — |
| 4205996 | CoO Free black spinel ceramic pigment containing NiO, Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 and Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3 | — | — |
| 7663136 | Method of manufacturing amorphous NiO thin films and nonvolatile memory devices using the same | — | — |
| 11873248 | Modified NiO-Ta2O5-based microwave dielectric ceramic material sintered at low temperature and its preparation | — | — |
| 9911969 | V2O5—LiBO2, V2O5—NiO—LiBO2 glasses and their composites obtained by nitrogen doping and reduced graphite oxide | — | — |
| 6296972 | Method for preparing LICOO2-coated NiO cathodes for molten carbon fuel cell | — | — |
| 10475575 | In-situ oxidized NiO as electrode surface for high k MIM device | — | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Nickel(II) oxide, answered from cross-validated data.
What is NiO?
Nickel(II) oxide is a stable, semiconducting binary oxide frequently employed as a catalyst for oxygen-evolution processes.
What is NiO used for?
What is the band gap of NiO?
Is NiO a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is NiO thermodynamically stable?
How many polymorphs of NiO are known?
How is NiO synthesized?
What elements does NiO contain?
Where does the data for NiO come from?
How It Compares
Within the oxide oxygen-evolution catalysts class.
Unlike complex ternary or quaternary oxides such as LiNiO2 or LaNiO3, which often feature intricate layered or perovskite structures, Nickel(II) oxide provides a straightforward binary platform for studying catalytic activity. While materials like La2NiO4 offer more nuanced electronic properties for specific electrochemical environments, NiO remains a foundational reference point for the class due to its inherent stability and well-documented behavior.
Related Compounds
Other Oxide Oxygen-Evolution Catalysts in the database.
Data sources & attribution
- latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform
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