UCl5

Uranium pentachloride is a stable, semiconducting binary halide of uranium used primarily in fundamental actinide research.

ClU
Crystal structure of UCl5
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About UCl5

Uranium pentachloride is a distinct binary halide compound composed of uranium and chlorine. As a semiconducting material that sits on the thermodynamic convex hull, it represents a stable configuration within the actinide halide family, making it a significant subject for fundamental solid-state research.

Its electronic character and stability profile make it an important reference point for understanding the bonding and chemical behavior of higher-valence uranium species. The compound has been extensively characterized across multiple structural databases, reflecting its importance in inorganic chemistry investigations.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for UCl5, aggregated across 3 databases.

Band Gap

0.25–0.62 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

On hull (stable)
2 DFT sources

Structures

10
3 databases, 2 space groups
Uses

Applications

Where UCl5 is used.

Actinide chemical researchInorganic synthesis precursor
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about UCl5, answered from cross-validated data.

What is UCl5?

Uranium pentachloride is a stable, semiconducting binary halide of uranium used primarily in fundamental actinide research.

More questions
What is UCl5 used for?
UCl5 is used in actinide chemical research and inorganic synthesis precursor.
What is the band gap of UCl5?
UCl5 has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.25–0.62 eV across 10 reported structures.
Is UCl5 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a band gap up to 0.62 eV it is a semiconductor.
Is UCl5 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — UCl5 sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. on hull (stable).
How many polymorphs of UCl5 are known?
10 structures of UCl5 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 2 distinct space groups.
What elements does UCl5 contain?
UCl5 contains Cl and U (2 elements).
Where does the data for UCl5 come from?
UCl5 data is cross-referenced from latticegraph.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a binary actinide halide, uranium pentachloride serves as a critical benchmark for evaluating the stability and electronic properties of high-oxidation-state uranium complexes in the absence of other directly comparable compounds in this specific structural class.

Data sources & attribution
  • latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform

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