ScI3

Scandium triiodide · Scandium(III) iodide

Scandium triiodide is a stable, semiconducting halide material primarily utilized as a chemical additive in high-performance lighting technologies.

ISc
Crystal structure of ScI3 (hexagonal, P63/mmc (No. 194))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About Scandium triiodide

Scandium triiodide is a semiconducting inorganic compound that exhibits notable thermodynamic stability. As a member of the scandium halide family, it is recognized for its role in high-intensity discharge lamps where it acts as a crucial additive to improve light quality and efficiency. Its structural integrity is well-documented across multiple databases, reflecting its importance in materials science research. Beyond lighting, it serves as a valuable precursor in the synthesis of other scandium-containing materials and organometallic complexes. Its electronic character makes it an interesting subject for studies involving metal-halide interactions and solid-state chemistry.

At a glance

Key Properties

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

Band Gap

0.58–2.85 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

38
3 databases, 9 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of ScI3. 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 ScI3, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
——2.260.0000-1.393—
P63/mmc (No. 194)hexagonal1.690.0000-4.2003.66
P63/mmc (No. 194)hexagonal1.220.0000-1.181—
——2.300.0052-1.388—
——2.060.0067-1.386—
——1.470.0242-1.369—
——1.850.0833-1.310—
——1.690.1048-1.288—
——2.850.1705-1.222—
——0.000.2741-1.119—
——1.230.2885-1.104—
P4/mmm (No. 123)tetragonal0.000.4389-0.742—
Uses

Applications

Where Scandium triiodide is used.

High-intensity discharge lampsMetal halide lampsChemical synthesis precursorOrganometallic research
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Scandium triiodide, answered from cross-validated data.

What is ScI3?

Scandium triiodide is a stable, semiconducting halide material primarily utilized as a chemical additive in high-performance lighting technologies.

More questions
What is ScI3 used for?
Scandium triiodide (ScI3) is used in high-intensity discharge lamps, metal halide lamps, chemical synthesis precursor, and organometallic research.
What is the band gap of ScI3?
Scandium triiodide (ScI3) has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.58–2.85 eV across 38 reported structures. Standard DFT underestimates band gaps, so the measured gap is typically larger.
Is ScI3 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
DFT predicts a band gap of up to 2.85 eV (a semiconductor). Measured gaps are typically larger.
Is ScI3 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — Scandium triiodide (ScI3) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. stable.
What is the crystal structure of ScI3?
The reference structure of Scandium triiodide (ScI3) is hexagonal symmetry, space group P63/mmc (No. 194).
What is the density of ScI3?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of Scandium triiodide (ScI3) is 3.66 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of ScI3 are known?
38 structures of ScI3 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 9 distinct space groups.
What elements does ScI3 contain?
Scandium triiodide (ScI3) contains I and Sc (2 elements).
Where does the data for ScI3 come from?
ScI3 data is cross-referenced from oqmd, materials_project, jarvis, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a stable scandium halide, this compound represents a fundamental building block in the study of group 3 iodides. While it stands as a distinct entity within the broader landscape of metal halides, its behavior provides critical insights into the coordination chemistry and thermal properties characteristic of trivalent scandium species.

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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