LiNO3

Lithium nitrate · Nitric acid lithium salt

Lithium nitrate is a stable, semiconducting lithium salt widely utilized for its thermal properties in industrial heat transfer and energy-related applications.

Crystal structure of LiNO3 (trigonal, R-3c (No. 167))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About Lithium nitrate

Lithium nitrate is a semiconducting inorganic compound that exists as a thermodynamically stable phase within the lithium oxide family. Its structural versatility is evidenced by the multiple distinct configurations reported in materials databases, highlighting its significance in solid-state chemistry.

This compound serves as a critical component in various thermal and electrochemical applications. Its stability and electronic properties make it a subject of interest for researchers optimizing lithium-based systems for high-performance industrial and scientific utility.

At a glance

Key Properties

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

Band Gap

2.94 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

On hull (stable)
2 DFT sources

Structures

8
3 databases, 3 space groups
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for LiNO3, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
R-3c (No. 167)trigonal2.940.0000-6.4052.47
C2/c (No. 15)monoclinic0.001.0989-5.3062.48
R-3m (No. 166)trigonal0.002.1606-4.2442.32
R-3c (No. 167)Trigonal2.27
R-3c (No. 167)Trigonal2.37
R-3c (No. 167)Trigonal2.30
R-3c (No. 167)
R-3m (No. 166)
Uses

Applications

Where Lithium nitrate is used.

Heat transfer fluidsMolten salt electrolytesRefrigeration systemsPyrotechnics
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Lithium nitrate, answered from cross-validated data.

What is LiNO3?

Lithium nitrate is a stable, semiconducting lithium salt widely utilized for its thermal properties in industrial heat transfer and energy-related applications.

More questions
What is LiNO3 used for?
Lithium nitrate (LiNO3) is used in heat transfer fluids, molten salt electrolytes, refrigeration systems, and pyrotechnics.
What is the band gap of LiNO3?
Lithium nitrate (LiNO3) has a DFT-computed band gap of 2.94 eV across 8 reported structures.
Is LiNO3 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a band gap up to 2.94 eV it is a semiconductor.
Is LiNO3 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — Lithium nitrate (LiNO3) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. on hull (stable).
What is the crystal structure of LiNO3?
The lowest-energy reported polymorph of Lithium nitrate (LiNO3) is trigonal symmetry, space group R-3c (No. 167).
What is the density of LiNO3?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of Lithium nitrate (LiNO3) is 2.47 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of LiNO3 are known?
8 structures of LiNO3 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 3 distinct space groups.
What elements does LiNO3 contain?
Lithium nitrate (LiNO3) contains Li, N, and O (3 elements).
Where does the data for LiNO3 come from?
LiNO3 data is cross-referenced from materials_project, mpaloe, jarvis.
Comparison

How It Compares

Within the lithium oxides class.

Unlike the transition metal-heavy members of the lithium oxide class such as LiCoO2 or LiNiO2, which are primarily utilized as cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries due to their redox-active metal centers, LiNO3 functions as a distinct salt with unique solubility and thermal characteristics that differentiate it from the complex mixed-metal oxides.

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Related Compounds

Other Lithium Oxides 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.
  • jarvis — Data from JARVIS (NIST). Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020).

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