PbTe
PbTe has a DFT band gap of 0.10–0.81 eV across 12 reported structures in 4 space groups; its reference structure is cubic (Fm-3m (No. 225)). Cross-validated across 2 computational databases.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for PbTe, aggregated across 2 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 PbTe. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.
Only 1 independent DFT source (materials_project) reports a hull energy for PbTe, so cross-source agreement can't be assessed yet.
Reported Structures
Lowest-energy structures reported for PbTe, 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | cubic | 0.81 | 0.0000 | -41.355 | 7.94 |
| P63/mmc (No. 194) | hexagonal | 0.10 | 0.0356 | -41.319 | 7.71 |
| Pnma (No. 62) | orthorhombic | 0.72 | 0.0549 | -41.300 | 7.96 |
| Pnma (No. 62) | orthorhombic | 0.80 | 0.0555 | -41.300 | 7.47 |
| Pm-3m (No. 221) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.2279 | -41.127 | 8.67 |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | cubic | — | — | — | 8.73 |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | cubic | — | — | — | 9.53 |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | cubic | — | — | — | 8.33 |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | cubic | — | — | — | 8.24 |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | cubic | — | — | — | 8.27 |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | cubic | — | — | — | 8.20 |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | cubic | — | — | — | 8.27 |
Synthesis Routes
Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting PbTe.
Patent Landscape
1 patent reference PbTe or close compositional variants.
| Patent | Title | Assignee | Granted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8889028 | n-Type doped PbTe and PbSe alloys for thermoelectric applications | — | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about PbTe, answered from cross-validated data.
What is the band gap of PbTe?
PbTe has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.10–0.81 eV across 12 reported structures. Standard DFT underestimates band gaps, so the measured gap is typically larger.
Is PbTe a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is PbTe thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of PbTe?
What is the density of PbTe?
How many polymorphs of PbTe are known?
How is PbTe synthesized?
What elements does PbTe contain?
Where does the data for PbTe come from?
Related Compounds
Other Lead Chalcogenide Thermoelectrics in the database.
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)
- cod — Data from the Crystallography Open Database (crystallography.net/cod/). Cite: Grazulis et al., J. Appl. Cryst. 42, 726 (2009). (CC0-1.0)
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