Pu
Plutonium · Pu
Plutonium is a dense, metallic actinide element recognized for its complex crystalline structure and significant role in nuclear technology.
About Plutonium
Plutonium is a heavy, metallic actinide element that exhibits remarkable structural complexity. As a thermodynamically stable solid, it is characterized by its unique ability to adopt numerous crystalline forms depending on ambient conditions, making it a subject of intense study in condensed matter physics.
Its metallic nature and intricate electronic configuration are central to its utility in nuclear science. Because of its stability and specific physical properties, it serves as a critical material for advanced energy generation and various specialized scientific research programs.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Plutonium, aggregated across 5 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 Pu. 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.
Reported Structures
Lowest-energy structures reported for Pu, 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P63/m (No. 176) | hexagonal | 0.00 | 0.0000 | -86.356 | 18.53 |
| P21/c (No. 14) | monoclinic | 0.00 | 0.0001 | -86.356 | 21.37 |
| P21/m (No. 11) | monoclinic | 0.00 | 0.0082 | -86.348 | 24.28 |
| P-1 (No. 2) | triclinic | 0.00 | 0.0892 | -86.267 | 22.65 |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.2772 | -86.079 | 16.10 |
| Fddd (No. 70) | orthorhombic | 0.00 | 0.4701 | -85.886 | 23.30 |
| Im-3m (No. 229) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.5457 | -85.811 | 26.58 |
| Cmce (No. 64) | orthorhombic | 0.00 | 0.5873 | -85.769 | 21.53 |
| C2/m (No. 12) | monoclinic | 0.00 | 0.7909 | -85.565 | 18.19 |
| P63/m (No. 176) | — | — | — | — | — |
| P-1 (No. 2) | Triclinic | — | — | — | 22.65 |
| Fm-3m (No. 225) | — | — | — | — | — |
Applications
Where Plutonium is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Plutonium, answered from cross-validated data.
What is Pu?
Plutonium is a dense, metallic actinide element recognized for its complex crystalline structure and significant role in nuclear technology.
What is Pu used for?
What is the band gap of Pu?
Is Pu a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is Pu thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of Pu?
What is the density of Pu?
How many polymorphs of Pu are known?
What elements does Pu contain?
Where does the data for Pu come from?
How It Compares
As a singular, highly complex metallic element, plutonium occupies a unique position in materials science. Unlike simpler metals, its structural diversity and the breadth of its reported phases distinguish it as one of the most structurally dynamic elements in the periodic table.
Data sources & attribution
- materials_project — Data from the Materials Project. Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013).
- jarvis — Data from JARVIS (NIST). Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020).
- mpaloe — Data from mpaloe.
- nomad — Data from NOMAD. Cite: Draxl & Scheffler, J. Phys. Mater. 2, 036001 (2019).
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