SiH8

SiH8 is a hydrogen-rich, insulating silicon compound that is considered a promising, synthesizable candidate for advanced battery anode technologies.

Crystal structure of SiH8 (orthorhombic, Pmn21 (No. 31))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About SiH8

SiH8 is a hydrogen-rich silicon compound characterized by its wide-band-gap insulating electronic structure. As a member of the silicon hydride family, it represents a high-energy-density configuration that is positioned near the thermodynamic hull, suggesting it is a viable candidate for synthesis and further experimental investigation.

This compound is of significant interest in the development of next-generation silicon anode materials. Its unique structural arrangement and hydrogen content make it a compelling subject for researchers aiming to overcome the volume expansion challenges typically associated with traditional silicon-based battery anodes.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for SiH8, aggregated across 3 databases.

Band Gap

7.03 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.002 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Near hull (likely stable)
2 DFT sources

Structures

9
3 databases, 2 space groups
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for SiH8, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
Pmn21 (No. 31)orthorhombic7.030.0015-4.0490.51
I-4m2 (No. 119)tetragonal6.980.0016-4.0490.51
I-4m2 (No. 119)
I-4m2 (No. 119)Tetragonal0.51
I-4m2 (No. 119)Tetragonal0.51
Pmn21 (No. 31)Orthorhombic0.61
I-4m2 (No. 119)Tetragonal0.51
Pmn21 (No. 31)Orthorhombic0.61
Pmn21 (No. 31)Orthorhombic0.61
Uses

Applications

Where SiH8 is used.

Battery anode researchHigh-pressure materials scienceHydrogen storage studies
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SiH8, answered from cross-validated data.

What is SiH8?

SiH8 is a hydrogen-rich, insulating silicon compound that is considered a promising, synthesizable candidate for advanced battery anode technologies.

More questions
What is SiH8 used for?
SiH8 is used in battery anode research, high-pressure materials science, and hydrogen storage studies.
What is the band gap of SiH8?
SiH8 has a DFT-computed band gap of 7.03 eV across 9 reported structures.
Is SiH8 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a wide band gap up to 7.03 eV it is an insulator / wide-band-gap material.
Is SiH8 thermodynamically stable?
SiH8 has a lowest energy above hull of 0.002 eV/atom (near hull (likely stable)).
What is the crystal structure of SiH8?
The lowest-energy reported polymorph of SiH8 is orthorhombic symmetry, space group Pmn21 (No. 31).
What is the density of SiH8?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of SiH8 is 0.51 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of SiH8 are known?
9 structures of SiH8 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 2 distinct space groups.
What elements does SiH8 contain?
SiH8 contains H and Si (2 elements).
Where does the data for SiH8 come from?
SiH8 data is cross-referenced from materials_project, jarvis, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

Within the silicon anode materials class.

Unlike metallic or semi-metallic silicon-based compounds such as FeSi, MoSi2, or the elemental Si, SiH8 acts as a wide-gap insulator. While materials like Mg2Si or BaSi2 are well-characterized for their specific semiconducting properties, SiH8 stands out for its high hydrogen density and distinct electronic profile, placing it in a specialized niche within the broader silicon anode material class.

Explore

Related Compounds

Other Silicon Anode Materials in the database.

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.

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