RuW
RuW is a metallic binary alloy of ruthenium and tungsten that is often studied for its complex structural properties within the platinum-group catalyst family.
About RuW
RuW is a metallic intermetallic compound belonging to the class of platinum-group alloy catalysts. Its electronic structure is characterized by a lack of a band gap, consistent with its metallic nature, making it a subject of interest in fundamental studies of transition metal bonding and alloy behavior.
Despite its classification as a potential catalyst, the compound is identified as being above the thermodynamic hull, suggesting it is metastable under standard conditions. Its high structural data richness across multiple databases underscores its importance as a model system for understanding complex phase formation in binary ruthenium-tungsten systems.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for RuW, 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 RuW. 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 RuW, 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0949 | 0.052 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.1288 | 0.086 | — |
| P-6m2 (No. 187) | hexagonal | 0.00 | 0.1716 | -38.254 | 15.99 |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.1872 | 0.144 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.2034 | 0.161 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.2221 | 0.179 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.2413 | 0.199 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.2539 | 0.211 | — |
| P-6m2 (No. 187) | hexagonal | 0.00 | 0.3875 | 0.069 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.4146 | 0.372 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.4354 | 0.393 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.4383 | 0.396 | — |
Applications
Where RuW is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about RuW, answered from cross-validated data.
What is RuW?
RuW is a metallic binary alloy of ruthenium and tungsten that is often studied for its complex structural properties within the platinum-group catalyst family.
What is RuW used for?
What is the band gap of RuW?
Is RuW a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is RuW thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of RuW?
What is the density of RuW?
How many polymorphs of RuW are known?
What elements does RuW contain?
Where does the data for RuW come from?
How It Compares
Within the platinum-group alloy catalysts class.
Unlike more stable or commercially established platinum-group compounds like P3Ru or LaRh, RuW exists in a metastable state. While many members of this class are optimized for specific catalytic pathways, RuW serves primarily as a structural reference point for exploring the limits of phase stability within high-density transition metal alloys.
Related Compounds
Other Platinum-Group Alloy Catalysts in the database.
Data sources & attribution
- 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)
- 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)
- mpaloe — Data from MP-ALOE. Cite: Kuner et al., npj Comput. Mater. (2025), doi:10.1038/s41524-025-01834-9.
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