LiCuS2

LiCuS2 is a metastable semiconducting ternary sulfide compound studied for its unique structural properties.

CuLiS
Crystal structure of LiCuS2 (monoclinic, C2/m (No. 12))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About LiCuS2

LiCuS2 is a ternary sulfide compound that exhibits semiconducting electronic properties. As a metastable material, it represents a unique phase within the landscape of lithium-copper-sulfur chemistry, offering distinct structural arrangements that differentiate it from more common stable phases.

The material is of significant interest to researchers investigating novel semiconductors for specialized optoelectronic or energy-related applications. Its existence across multiple reported structures highlights the complex phase space accessible to this chemical composition.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for LiCuS2, aggregated across 3 databases.

Band Gap

0.47 eV
Range across DFT structures · ground state: narrow gap

Energy Above Hull

0.081 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Metastable
3 DFT sources

Structures

9
3 databases, 2 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of LiCuS2. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.

Agreement Score

0.44 / 1.00
Trust tier: low

Hull Spread

0.139 eV
EAH spread across sources

Sources Compared

3
jarvis, materials_project, oqmd

Space Group Consensus

Mixed (most: C2/m (No. 12))
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for LiCuS2, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
C2/m (No. 12)monoclinic0.000.0650-4.3433.15
Pnnm (No. 58)orthorhombic0.570.0658-4.3423.34
Pnnm (No. 58)orthorhombic0.470.0805-0.631—
C2/m (No. 12)monoclinic0.000.0929-0.618—
——0.000.2041-0.533—
C2/m (No. 12)monoclinic———3.22
C2/m (No. 12)monoclinic———3.15
C2/m (No. 12)monoclinic———3.27
Pnnm (No. 58)orthorhombic———3.39
Pnnm (No. 58)orthorhombic———3.41
Pnnm (No. 58)orthorhombic———3.34
Uses

Applications

Where LiCuS2 is used.

Semiconductor researchOptoelectronic materials developmentSolid-state chemistry studies
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about LiCuS2, answered from cross-validated data.

What is LiCuS2?

LiCuS2 is a metastable semiconducting ternary sulfide compound studied for its unique structural properties.

More questions
What is LiCuS2 used for?
LiCuS2 is used in semiconductor research, optoelectronic materials development, and solid-state chemistry studies.
What is the band gap of LiCuS2?
LiCuS2 has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.47 eV across 9 reported structures. Standard DFT underestimates band gaps, so the measured gap is typically larger.
Is LiCuS2 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
DFT predicts a band gap of up to 0.47 eV (a semiconductor). Measured gaps are typically larger.
Is LiCuS2 thermodynamically stable?
LiCuS2 has a lowest energy above hull of 0.081 eV/atom (metastable).
What is the crystal structure of LiCuS2?
The reference structure of LiCuS2 is monoclinic symmetry, space group C2/m (No. 12).
What is the density of LiCuS2?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of LiCuS2 is 3.15 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of LiCuS2 are known?
9 structures of LiCuS2 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 2 distinct space groups.
What elements does LiCuS2 contain?
LiCuS2 contains Cu, Li, and S (3 elements).
Where does the data for LiCuS2 come from?
LiCuS2 data is cross-referenced from materials_project, jarvis, oqmd, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a metastable ternary sulfide, LiCuS2 occupies a specialized niche in materials science where structural diversity is highly valued. Unlike more thermodynamically stable compounds that dominate industrial use, this material serves as an example of the intricate structural possibilities available when balancing lithium, copper, and sulfur components.

Data sources & attribution
  • materials_project — Data from the Materials Project (materialsproject.org). Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013). (CC-BY-4.0)
  • jarvis — Data from JARVIS (jarvis.nist.gov), NIST. Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020). (LicenseRef-US-Gov-PD)
  • oqmd — Data from the OQMD (oqmd.org). Cite: Saal et al., JOM 65, 1501 (2013); Kirklin et al., npj Comp. Mater. 1, 15010 (2015). (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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