Ni2P

dinickel phosphide · nickel phosphide

Ni2P is a metallic nickel phosphide compound widely researched for its role as a stable and efficient catalyst in industrial and electrochemical applications.

Crystal structure of Ni2P (hexagonal, P-62m (No. 189))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About dinickel phosphide

Ni2P is a metallic transition-metal phosphide that serves as a robust catalyst in various chemical transformations. Its electronic structure, characterized by a lack of a band gap, facilitates efficient charge transfer, making it a subject of significant interest in electrocatalysis and industrial synthesis. The material is thermodynamically stable, existing near the hull, which supports its viability for practical applications.

Due to its favorable structural properties and high degree of experimental characterization, Ni2P is frequently investigated for its catalytic activity in hydrogen evolution and hydrotreating processes. Its ability to maintain structural integrity under reaction conditions positions it as a reliable candidate for developing high-performance catalytic materials.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for dinickel phosphide, aggregated across 4 databases.

Band Gap

Metallic / not reported

Energy Above Hull

0.002 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Near hull (likely stable)
2 DFT sources

Structures

39
4 databases, 14 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of Ni2P. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.

Agreement Score

1.00 / 1.00
Trust tier: medium

Hull Spread

0.000 eV
EAH spread across sources

Sources Compared

2
jarvis, materials_project

Space Group Consensus

All match
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for Ni2P, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
P-62m (No. 189)hexagonal0.000.0022-11.4627.55
P-1 (No. 2)Triclinic5.24
P2/m (No. 10)Monoclinic4.24
Cm (No. 8)Monoclinic5.71
Cm (No. 8)Monoclinic5.87
No. 0unknown1.21
Amm2 (No. 38)Orthorhombic3.08
P-1 (No. 2)Triclinic5.98
Cm (No. 8)Monoclinic4.75
C2/m (No. 12)Monoclinic4.90
C2/m (No. 12)Monoclinic5.50
C2/m (No. 12)Monoclinic5.29
Uses

Applications

Where dinickel phosphide is used.

ElectrocatalysisHydrogen evolution reactionHydrodesulfurizationHydrodenitrogenation
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about dinickel phosphide, answered from cross-validated data.

What is Ni2P?

Ni2P is a metallic nickel phosphide compound widely researched for its role as a stable and efficient catalyst in industrial and electrochemical applications.

More questions
What is Ni2P used for?
dinickel phosphide (Ni2P) is used in electrocatalysis, hydrogen evolution reaction, hydrodesulfurization, and hydrodenitrogenation.
What is the band gap of Ni2P?
dinickel phosphide (Ni2P) is computed to be metallic (no band gap) in the reported DFT structures.
Is Ni2P a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Computed band structures report no gap, so it is metallic.
Is Ni2P thermodynamically stable?
dinickel phosphide (Ni2P) has a lowest energy above hull of 0.002 eV/atom (near hull (likely stable)).
What is the crystal structure of Ni2P?
The lowest-energy reported polymorph of dinickel phosphide (Ni2P) is hexagonal symmetry, space group P-62m (No. 189).
What is the density of Ni2P?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of dinickel phosphide (Ni2P) is 7.55 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of Ni2P are known?
39 structures of Ni2P are reported across 4 databases, spanning 14 distinct space groups.
What elements does Ni2P contain?
dinickel phosphide (Ni2P) contains Ni and P (2 elements).
Where does the data for Ni2P come from?
Ni2P data is cross-referenced from materials_project, mpaloe, cod, jarvis.
Comparison

How It Compares

Within the transition-metal phosphide catalysts class.

Within the diverse family of transition-metal phosphides, Ni2P stands out for its high metallic conductivity compared to more complex or phosphorus-rich phases like NiP2 or CoP2. While phases such as FeP or CoP are widely studied for their magnetic and electronic properties, Ni2P is particularly valued for its specific surface reactivity and stability in catalytic environments, offering a distinct performance profile from its phosphide-rich counterparts.

Explore

Related Compounds

Other Transition-Metal Phosphide Catalysts in the database.

Data sources & attribution
  • materials_project — Data from the Materials Project. Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013).
  • mpaloe — Data from mpaloe.
  • cod — Data from the Crystallography Open Database. Cite: Grazulis et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 40, D420 (2012).
  • jarvis — Data from JARVIS (NIST). Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020).

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