Li2HN

lithium imide · lithium imide

Li2HN is a stable, semiconducting lithium-based hydride primarily studied for its potential in solid-state hydrogen storage technologies.

Crystal structure of Li2HN (orthorhombic, Pnma (No. 62))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About lithium imide

Li2HN is a semiconducting hydride that sits prominently on the thermodynamic convex hull, indicating exceptional stability within the landscape of hydrogen storage materials. Its unique structural configuration makes it a subject of significant interest for researchers aiming to optimize reversible hydrogen uptake and release cycles.

As a key member of the hydrogen storage hydride class, this compound is investigated for its potential to improve the efficiency and kinetics of solid-state hydrogen reservoirs. Its stability and electronic properties are critical factors in the ongoing development of lightweight, high-capacity materials for future energy storage applications.

At a glance

Key Properties

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

Band Gap

2.08–2.82 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

On hull (stable)
2 DFT sources

Structures

26
3 databases, 7 space groups
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for Li2HN, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
Pnma (No. 62)orthorhombic2.080.0000-4.4701.38
Imma (No. 74)orthorhombic2.790.0083-4.4621.50
Ima2 (No. 46)orthorhombic0.000.0086-4.4621.49
P42/m (No. 84)tetragonal2.600.0311-4.4391.49
Imm2 (No. 44)orthorhombic2.820.0646-4.4061.45
R3m (No. 160)trigonal2.560.0858-4.3851.41
Pnma (No. 62)
Ima2 (No. 46)Orthorhombic1.49
Imm2 (No. 44)Orthorhombic1.46
Ima2 (No. 46)Orthorhombic1.52
Imm2 (No. 44)Orthorhombic1.48
Imm2 (No. 44)Orthorhombic1.45
Uses

Applications

Where lithium imide is used.

Hydrogen storageSolid-state energy systemsChemical energy carriers
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about lithium imide, answered from cross-validated data.

What is Li2HN?

Li2HN is a stable, semiconducting lithium-based hydride primarily studied for its potential in solid-state hydrogen storage technologies.

More questions
What is Li2HN used for?
lithium imide (Li2HN) is used in hydrogen storage, solid-state energy systems, and chemical energy carriers.
What is the band gap of Li2HN?
lithium imide (Li2HN) has a DFT-computed band gap of 2.08–2.82 eV across 26 reported structures.
Is Li2HN a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a band gap up to 2.82 eV it is a semiconductor.
Is Li2HN thermodynamically stable?
Yes — lithium imide (Li2HN) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. on hull (stable).
What is the crystal structure of Li2HN?
The lowest-energy reported polymorph of lithium imide (Li2HN) is orthorhombic symmetry, space group Pnma (No. 62).
What is the density of Li2HN?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of lithium imide (Li2HN) is 1.38 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of Li2HN are known?
26 structures of Li2HN are reported across 3 databases, spanning 7 distinct space groups.
What elements does Li2HN contain?
lithium imide (Li2HN) contains H, Li, and N (3 elements).
Where does the data for Li2HN come from?
Li2HN data is cross-referenced from materials_project, jarvis, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

Within the hydrogen storage hydrides class.

Within the diverse class of hydrogen storage hydrides, Li2HN occupies a distinct position compared to binary systems like LiH or MgH2. While simpler hydrides often face challenges with high desorption temperatures or poor kinetics, the ternary nature of Li2HN allows for more complex reaction pathways that can be leveraged to tune the thermodynamics of hydrogen release more effectively than in simpler counterparts.

Explore

Related Compounds

Other Hydrogen Storage Hydrides in the database.

Data sources & attribution
  • materials_project — Data from the Materials Project. Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013).
  • jarvis — Data from JARVIS (NIST). Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020).
  • mpaloe — Data from mpaloe.

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