Li3PO4

Lithium phosphate · Lithium orthophosphate

Lithium phosphate is a stable, insulating compound widely studied for its potential as a solid-state electrolyte in high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

Crystal structure of Li3PO4 (orthorhombic, Pmn21 (No. 31))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About Lithium phosphate

Lithium phosphate is a thermodynamically stable lithium oxide that functions as a wide-band-gap insulator. Its structural integrity and chemical robustness make it a subject of significant interest in materials science, particularly for applications requiring stable ion-conducting pathways.

Researchers utilize this compound primarily as a foundational material in the development of solid-state electrolytes. By serving as a stable host or additive, it helps improve the performance and safety profiles of advanced energy storage systems compared to conventional liquid-based alternatives.

At a glance

Key Properties

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

Band Gap

5.82 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

On hull (stable)
2 DFT sources

Structures

9
3 databases, 2 space groups
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for Li3PO4, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
Pmn21 (No. 31)orthorhombic5.820.0000-6.6202.54
Pnma (No. 62)orthorhombic5.800.0025-6.6182.49
Pmn21 (No. 31)
Pnma (No. 62)Orthorhombic2.35
Pnma (No. 62)Orthorhombic2.40
Pmn21 (No. 31)Orthorhombic2.52
Pnma (No. 62)Orthorhombic2.48
Pmn21 (No. 31)Orthorhombic2.39
Pmn21 (No. 31)Orthorhombic2.44
Uses

Applications

Where Lithium phosphate is used.

Solid-state electrolyte researchLithium-ion battery componentsCeramic material development
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

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

What is Li3PO4?

Lithium phosphate is a stable, insulating compound widely studied for its potential as a solid-state electrolyte in high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

More questions
What is Li3PO4 used for?
Lithium phosphate (Li3PO4) is used in solid-state electrolyte research, lithium-ion battery components, and ceramic material development.
What is the band gap of Li3PO4?
Lithium phosphate (Li3PO4) has a DFT-computed band gap of 5.82 eV across 9 reported structures.
Is Li3PO4 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a wide band gap up to 5.82 eV it is an insulator / wide-band-gap material.
Is Li3PO4 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — Lithium phosphate (Li3PO4) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. on hull (stable).
What is the crystal structure of Li3PO4?
The lowest-energy reported polymorph of Lithium phosphate (Li3PO4) is orthorhombic symmetry, space group Pmn21 (No. 31).
What is the density of Li3PO4?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of Lithium phosphate (Li3PO4) is 2.54 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of Li3PO4 are known?
9 structures of Li3PO4 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 2 distinct space groups.
What elements does Li3PO4 contain?
Lithium phosphate (Li3PO4) contains Li, O, and P (3 elements).
Where does the data for Li3PO4 come from?
Li3PO4 data is cross-referenced from materials_project, jarvis, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

Within the lithium oxides class.

Unlike the transition-metal-based lithium oxides such as LiCoO2 or LiNiO2, which are primarily valued for their redox activity and capacity for lithium intercalation in cathode materials, Li3PO4 acts as an insulating structural component. While its siblings are often chosen for their electrochemical potential, Li3PO4 is distinguished by its stability and dielectric properties, positioning it as an essential electrolyte candidate rather than an active cathode material.

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

Analyze Li3PO4 in the Lattice Graph platform

Polymorph comparison, confidence scoring, supply-chain risk, and patent monitoring — across 53 integrated data sources.

Explore the Platform →