Sc4C3

Sc4C3 is a thermodynamically stable semiconducting compound composed of scandium and carbon.

CSc
Crystal structure of Sc4C3 (cubic, I-43d (No. 220))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About Sc4C3

Sc4C3 is a semiconducting scandium carbide that occupies a stable position on the convex hull, indicating significant thermodynamic robustness. Its unique electronic character makes it an intriguing subject for fundamental studies in transition metal carbides.

With numerous reported structures across multiple databases, this compound is a well-documented material within its chemical family. Its stability and semiconducting nature suggest potential utility in specialized electronic or structural applications where precise material properties are required.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for Sc4C3, aggregated across 3 databases.

Band Gap

0.32–0.61 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

18
3 databases, 7 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of Sc4C3. 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 Sc4C3, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
——0.610.0000-0.491—
I-43d (No. 220)cubic0.330.0000-11.4003.82
I-43d (No. 220)cubic0.320.0000-0.636—
——0.410.1695-0.321—
P1 (No. 1)triclinic———3.31
P2/m (No. 10)monoclinic———3.15
Pm (No. 6)monoclinic———2.85
Cm (No. 8)monoclinic———2.79
Cm (No. 8)monoclinic———2.06
P2/m (No. 10)monoclinic———3.36
P1 (No. 1)triclinic———3.43
P1 (No. 1)triclinic———3.44
Uses

Applications

Where Sc4C3 is used.

Materials science researchSemiconductor device studiesTransition metal carbide development
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Sc4C3, answered from cross-validated data.

What is Sc4C3?

Sc4C3 is a thermodynamically stable semiconducting compound composed of scandium and carbon.

More questions
What is Sc4C3 used for?
Sc4C3 is used in materials science research, semiconductor device studies, and transition metal carbide development.
What is the band gap of Sc4C3?
Sc4C3 has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.32–0.61 eV across 18 reported structures. Standard DFT underestimates band gaps, so the measured gap is typically larger.
Is Sc4C3 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
DFT predicts a band gap of up to 0.61 eV (a semiconductor). Measured gaps are typically larger.
Is Sc4C3 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — Sc4C3 sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. stable.
What is the crystal structure of Sc4C3?
The reference structure of Sc4C3 is cubic symmetry, space group I-43d (No. 220).
What is the density of Sc4C3?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of Sc4C3 is 3.82 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of Sc4C3 are known?
18 structures of Sc4C3 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 7 distinct space groups.
What elements does Sc4C3 contain?
Sc4C3 contains C and Sc (2 elements).
Where does the data for Sc4C3 come from?
Sc4C3 data is cross-referenced from oqmd, materials_project, jarvis, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a thermodynamically stable scandium carbide, Sc4C3 serves as a foundational reference point for exploring the complex phase space of metal-carbon systems. It represents a distinct structural arrangement that highlights the diverse bonding possibilities between scandium and carbon.

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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