WCl3

WCl3 is a metastable, semimetallic tungsten chloride compound.

ClW
Crystal structure of WCl3
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About WCl3

WCl3 is a tungsten-based chloride characterized by its near-zero-gap electronic structure, placing it in the semimetallic regime. As a metastable compound, it represents a complex phase within transition metal halides that requires specific conditions for synthesis and preservation.

Its significance lies in its unique electronic configuration, which distinguishes it from more conventional insulating halides. The material is a subject of interest for researchers investigating the interplay between tungsten d-orbitals and chlorine coordination in low-dimensional or cluster-based architectures.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for WCl3, aggregated across 3 databases.

Band Gap

0.06 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.029 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Metastable
2 DFT sources

Structures

77
3 databases, 18 space groups
Uses

Applications

Where WCl3 is used.

Chemical vapor transport researchPrecursor for tungsten-based materials synthesisFundamental solid-state physics studies
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about WCl3, answered from cross-validated data.

What is WCl3?

WCl3 is a metastable, semimetallic tungsten chloride compound.

More questions
What is WCl3 used for?
WCl3 is used in chemical vapor transport research, precursor for tungsten-based materials synthesis, and fundamental solid-state physics studies.
What is the band gap of WCl3?
WCl3 has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.06 eV across 77 reported structures.
Is WCl3 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a near-zero band gap it behaves as a (semi)metal.
Is WCl3 thermodynamically stable?
WCl3 has a lowest energy above hull of 0.029 eV/atom (metastable).
How many polymorphs of WCl3 are known?
77 structures of WCl3 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 18 distinct space groups.
What elements does WCl3 contain?
WCl3 contains Cl and W (2 elements).
Where does the data for WCl3 come from?
WCl3 data is cross-referenced from latticegraph.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a metastable semimetallic halide, WCl3 occupies a specialized niche in inorganic chemistry, serving as a distinct example of how tungsten-chlorine bonding can deviate from the typical insulating behavior found in many other binary metal halides.

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

Analyze WCl3 in the Lattice Graph platform

Polymorph comparison, confidence scoring, supply-chain risk, and patent monitoring — across 53 integrated data sources.

Explore the Platform →