Li3NbO4

Li3NbO4 is a stable, insulating lithium oxide compound used primarily in fundamental materials research.

Crystal structure of Li3NbO4 (cubic, I-43m (No. 217))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About Li3NbO4

Li3NbO4 is a thermodynamically stable lithium oxide that functions as a wide-band-gap insulator. Its position on the convex hull signifies high structural integrity, making it a reliable subject for fundamental studies in solid-state chemistry and materials science.

With multiple reported structural variations across major databases, this compound serves as a key reference point for understanding lithium-niobium-oxygen interactions. Its insulating nature distinguishes it from more conductive lithium-based oxides, positioning it as a specialized component in material research.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for Li3NbO4, aggregated across 3 databases.

Band Gap

1.08–3.84 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

On hull (stable)
2 DFT sources

Structures

10
3 databases, 2 space groups
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for Li3NbO4, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
I-43m (No. 217)cubic3.840.0000-7.1703.96
I4/mmm (No. 139)tetragonal1.080.0672-7.1023.95
I4/mmm (No. 139)Tetragonal3.95
I4/mmm (No. 139)Tetragonal4.11
I4/mmm (No. 139)
I-43m (No. 217)Cubic3.95
I4/mmm (No. 139)Tetragonal4.04
I-43m (No. 217)Cubic3.81
I-43m (No. 217)Cubic3.88
I-43m (No. 217)
Uses

Applications

Where Li3NbO4 is used.

Solid-state electrolyte researchFundamental materials science studiesCeramic material development
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Li3NbO4, answered from cross-validated data.

What is Li3NbO4?

Li3NbO4 is a stable, insulating lithium oxide compound used primarily in fundamental materials research.

More questions
What is Li3NbO4 used for?
Li3NbO4 is used in solid-state electrolyte research, fundamental materials science studies, and ceramic material development.
What is the band gap of Li3NbO4?
Li3NbO4 has a DFT-computed band gap of 1.08–3.84 eV across 10 reported structures.
Is Li3NbO4 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a wide band gap up to 3.84 eV it is an insulator / wide-band-gap material.
Is Li3NbO4 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — Li3NbO4 sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. on hull (stable).
What is the crystal structure of Li3NbO4?
The lowest-energy reported polymorph of Li3NbO4 is cubic symmetry, space group I-43m (No. 217).
What is the density of Li3NbO4?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of Li3NbO4 is 3.96 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of Li3NbO4 are known?
10 structures of Li3NbO4 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 2 distinct space groups.
What elements does Li3NbO4 contain?
Li3NbO4 contains Li, Nb, and O (3 elements).
Where does the data for Li3NbO4 come from?
Li3NbO4 data is cross-referenced from materials_project, mpaloe, jarvis.
Comparison

How It Compares

Within the lithium oxides class.

Unlike the electrochemically active cathode materials LiCoO2 and LiMn2O4, which are designed for high-capacity ion transport, Li3NbO4 acts as a stable, insulating framework that lacks the transition metal redox flexibility found in its more famous siblings.

Explore

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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