Li2N

Li2N is a metallic, metastable compound of lithium and nitrogen that is primarily studied for its structural complexity and electronic properties.

LiN
Crystal structure of Li2N
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About Li2N

Li2N is a binary compound composed of lithium and nitrogen that exhibits distinct metallic character. Due to its electronic configuration, it lacks a band gap, placing it in a unique category of conductive materials that differ significantly from typical insulating nitrides.

Despite its simple stoichiometry, this material is characterized by a high degree of structural diversity, with numerous reported configurations across various databases. Its position relative to the thermodynamic ground state suggests it is a metastable phase, making it a compelling subject for studies on high-pressure synthesis and chemical reactivity.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for Li2N, aggregated across 4 databases.

Band Gap

Metallic / not reported

Energy Above Hull

0.222 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Above hull
2 DFT sources

Structures

46
4 databases, 16 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of Li2N. 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
Synthesis

Synthesis Routes

Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting Li2N.

Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Uses

Applications

Where Li2N is used.

Fundamental materials science researchHigh-pressure phase stability studiesLithium-ion battery interface investigation
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Li2N, answered from cross-validated data.

What is Li2N?

Li2N is a metallic, metastable compound of lithium and nitrogen that is primarily studied for its structural complexity and electronic properties.

More questions
What is Li2N used for?
Li2N is used in fundamental materials science research, high-pressure phase stability studies, and lithium-ion battery interface investigation.
What is the band gap of Li2N?
Li2N is computed to be metallic (no band gap) in the reported DFT structures.
Is Li2N a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Computed band structures report no gap, so it is metallic.
Is Li2N thermodynamically stable?
Li2N has a lowest energy above hull of 0.222 eV/atom (above hull).
How many polymorphs of Li2N are known?
46 structures of Li2N are reported across 4 databases, spanning 16 distinct space groups.
How is Li2N synthesized?
Literature-reported routes for Li2N include solid state (10 procedures documented).
What elements does Li2N contain?
Li2N contains Li and N (2 elements).
Where does the data for Li2N come from?
Li2N data is cross-referenced from latticegraph.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a metallic lithium-nitrogen phase, Li2N represents a specialized case within binary nitrides. Unlike more common, thermodynamically stable insulating nitrides, this compound is notable for its metallic nature and its status as a metastable phase, highlighting the complex phase landscape of the lithium-nitrogen system.

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

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