Does titanium(II) oxide conduct electricity? [duplicate]








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[How is solid titanium(II) oxide an electrical conductor?](/questions/81724/how-is-solid-titaniumii-oxide-an-electrical-conductor)

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In my book, it is given that $\ce{TiO(s)}$ is an electrical conductor. But I'd think that since $\ce{TiO(s)}$ is ionic and in solid state, it shouldn't conduct electricity. So, why does it conduct electricity?




I'm not really convinced that $\ce{TiO\_{$1\pm x$}}$ is best described as a mixture of Ti metal with oxygen.


The way I was taught it is that in $\ce{TiO}$ the oxidation state of $\ce{Ti}$ is $+2$; hence the $\ce{3d}$ band is partially filled and the electrons in that band can act as charge carriers. $\ce{TiO}$ has a notoriously wide range of stoichiometries, but the presence of extra or fewer vacancies doesn't affect the argument (as long as the average oxidation state of $\ce{Ti}$ is less than $+4$, the $\ce{3d}$ band will be partially filled).


For the $\ce{Ti 3d}$ orbitals to form a band, they need to have sufficiently good overlap; this is ensured by the fact that (1) $\ce{Ti}$ is early in the $\ce{3d}$ block, so $Z\_\mathrm{eff}$ is low and the orbitals are relatively radially extended; (2) the ordered vacancies in $\ce{TiO}$ allow for a more compact structure and closer $\ce{Ti-Ti}$ contact. See e.g. Smart/Moore *Solid State Chemistry*, 4th ed., p 262.


I'm not a solid state chemist and I do not know if this is still a simplification, but I think it is an improvement over treating $\ce{TiO}$ as $\ce{Ti}$ metal with oxygen in it.


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From Wikipedia,



> 
> Titanium(II) oxide ($\ce{TiO}$) is an inorganic chemical compound of titanium and oxygen. It can be prepared from titanium dioxide and titanium metal at 1500 °C. It is non-stoichiometric in a range $\ce{TiO\_{0.7}}$ to $\ce{TiO\_{1.3}}$ and this is caused by vacancies of either $\ce{Ti}$ or $\ce{O}$ in the defect rock salt structure. (citation given below)
> 
> 
> 


Basically, for your purposes, this is basically titanium metal with oxygen dispersed throughout its crystal structure. Hence, the titanium metal constituent conducts electricity.


(Citation: 
Holleman, Arnold Frederik; Wiberg, Egon (2001), Wiberg, Nils, ed., Inorganic Chemistry, translated by Eagleson, Mary; Brewer, William, San Diego/Berlin: Academic Press/De Gruyter, ISBN 0-12-352651-5)


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