LiO

LiO is a stable, semiconducting binary lithium oxide frequently studied for its diverse structural phases and potential applications in energy storage research.

Crystal structure of LiO (hexagonal, P63/mmc (No. 194))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About LiO

LiO is a semiconducting member of the lithium oxide family that maintains thermodynamic stability within the convex hull. Its unique electronic properties and structural flexibility make it a compelling subject for researchers investigating the fundamental behavior of lithium-based systems.

Because it exists in numerous reported structural configurations, this compound serves as a critical model for understanding phase transitions and ionic mobility. It is primarily studied for its potential role in next-generation energy storage technologies and as a building block for complex oxide materials.

At a glance

Key Properties

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

Band Gap

1.55–2.15 eV
Range across DFT structures · ground state: wide gap

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Stable
3 DFT sources

Structures

18
4 databases, 8 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of LiO. 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

Mixed (most: P63/mmc (No. 194))
Crystallography

Reported Structures

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

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
P63/mmc (No. 194)hexagonal1.970.0000-5.0792.41
Cm (No. 8)monoclinic1.550.0000-1.625—
P63/mmc (No. 194)hexagonal2.150.0107-1.615—
P63/mmc (No. 194)hexagonal2.150.0107-1.615—
P63/mmc (No. 194)hexagonal1.640.1427-4.9362.00
P4/mmm (No. 123)tetragonal0.000.2682-4.8102.50
Pm-3m (No. 221)cubic0.000.2890-4.7902.33
Pm-3m (No. 221)cubic0.000.3701-1.255—
P4/mmm (No. 123)tetragonal0.000.3734-1.252—
P-6m2 (No. 187)hexagonal0.000.4472-1.178—
P63/mmc (No. 194)hexagonal———2.33
P4/nmm (No. 129)tetragonal———1.40
Uses

Applications

Where LiO is used.

Energy storage researchSolid-state battery developmentFundamental materials science studies
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

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

What is LiO?

LiO is a stable, semiconducting binary lithium oxide frequently studied for its diverse structural phases and potential applications in energy storage research.

More questions
What is LiO used for?
LiO is used in energy storage research, solid-state battery development, and fundamental materials science studies.
What is the band gap of LiO?
LiO has a DFT-computed band gap of 1.55–2.15 eV across 18 reported structures. Standard DFT underestimates band gaps, so the measured gap is typically larger.
Is LiO a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
DFT predicts a band gap of up to 2.15 eV (a semiconductor). Measured gaps are typically larger.
Is LiO thermodynamically stable?
Yes — LiO sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. stable.
What is the crystal structure of LiO?
The reference structure of LiO is hexagonal symmetry, space group P63/mmc (No. 194).
What is the density of LiO?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of LiO is 2.41 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of LiO are known?
18 structures of LiO are reported across 4 databases, spanning 8 distinct space groups.
What elements does LiO contain?
LiO contains Li and O (2 elements).
Where does the data for LiO come from?
LiO data is cross-referenced from materials_project, jarvis, cod, nomad.
Comparison

How It Compares

Within the lithium oxides class.

Unlike the widely commercialized cathode materials in its class, such as LiCoO2 or LiMn2O4, LiO is primarily investigated for its fundamental structural properties rather than as a standard battery electrolyte or electrode. While Li2O represents the most common binary oxide in this group, LiO offers a distinct electronic profile that distinguishes it from the more traditional lithium-metal oxides used in modern power cells.

Explore

Related Compounds

Other Lithium Oxides in the database.

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)
  • cod — Data from the Crystallography Open Database (crystallography.net/cod/). Cite: Grazulis et al., J. Appl. Cryst. 42, 726 (2009). (CC0-1.0)
  • nomad — Data from NOMAD (nomad-lab.eu). Cite: Draxl & Scheffler, J. Phys. Mater. 2, 036001 (2019). (CC-BY-4.0)

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