Li7NbS6

Li7NbS6 is a metastable, semiconducting lithium-niobium sulfide used in fundamental materials research.

LiNbS
Crystal structure of Li7NbS6 (cubic, P213 (No. 198))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About Li7NbS6

Li7NbS6 is a complex lithium-based sulfide compound that exhibits semiconducting electronic behavior. As a metastable phase, it represents a unique structural configuration within the landscape of lithium-containing chalcogenides, often studied for its intricate atomic arrangement and potential for ion transport.

Its significance lies in its role as a subject of fundamental research into solid-state ionics. By investigating its structural stability and electronic properties, researchers aim to better understand the design principles required to stabilize complex sulfide frameworks for future energy storage technologies.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for Li7NbS6, aggregated across 3 databases.

Band Gap

2.13–2.37 eV
Range across DFT structures · ground state: wide gap

Energy Above Hull

0.051 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Metastable
2 DFT sources

Structures

10
3 databases, 2 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of Li7NbS6. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.

Agreement Score

0.94 / 1.00
Trust tier: medium

Hull Spread

0.016 eV
EAH spread across sources

Sources Compared

2
jarvis, materials_project

Space Group Consensus

Mixed (most: P213 (No. 198))
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for Li7NbS6, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
Pc (No. 7)monoclinic2.270.0512-1.337—
P213 (No. 198)cubic2.330.0668-4.8262.10
Pc (No. 7)monoclinic2.130.0675-4.8252.06
Pc (No. 7)monoclinic2.370.0811-4.8112.04
Pc (No. 7)monoclinic———2.09
Pc (No. 7)monoclinic———2.06
Pc (No. 7)monoclinic———2.09
Pc (No. 7)monoclinic———2.04
Pc (No. 7)monoclinic———2.06
Pc (No. 7)monoclinic———2.07
Uses

Applications

Where Li7NbS6 is used.

Solid-state ionics researchEnergy storage materials development
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Li7NbS6, answered from cross-validated data.

What is Li7NbS6?

Li7NbS6 is a metastable, semiconducting lithium-niobium sulfide used in fundamental materials research.

More questions
What is Li7NbS6 used for?
Li7NbS6 is used in solid-state ionics research and energy storage materials development.
What is the band gap of Li7NbS6?
Li7NbS6 has a DFT-computed band gap of 2.13–2.37 eV across 10 reported structures. Standard DFT underestimates band gaps, so the measured gap is typically larger.
Is Li7NbS6 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
DFT predicts a band gap of up to 2.37 eV (a semiconductor). Measured gaps are typically larger.
Is Li7NbS6 thermodynamically stable?
Li7NbS6 has a lowest energy above hull of 0.051 eV/atom (metastable).
What is the crystal structure of Li7NbS6?
The reference structure of Li7NbS6 is cubic symmetry, space group P213 (No. 198).
What is the density of Li7NbS6?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of Li7NbS6 is 2.10 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of Li7NbS6 are known?
10 structures of Li7NbS6 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 2 distinct space groups.
What elements does Li7NbS6 contain?
Li7NbS6 contains Li, Nb, and S (3 elements).
Where does the data for Li7NbS6 come from?
Li7NbS6 data is cross-referenced from jarvis, materials_project, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a specialized lithium-niobium sulfide, this compound occupies a distinct niche in materials science. It serves as a primary example of how metastable phases can be synthesized and characterized to expand the library of potential solid-state electrolyte candidates, offering a unique structural alternative to more conventional, highly stable sulfide materials.

Data sources & attribution
  • jarvis — Data from JARVIS (jarvis.nist.gov), NIST. Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020). (LicenseRef-US-Gov-PD)
  • materials_project — Data from the Materials Project (materialsproject.org). Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013). (CC-BY-4.0)
  • mpaloe — Data from MP-ALOE. Cite: Kuner et al., npj Comput. Mater. (2025), doi:10.1038/s41524-025-01834-9.

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