Lithium nitride

Lithium nitride is an inorganic compound with formula Li₃N, formed from lithium and nitrogen. Its ionic crystal structure consists of lithium and nitride ions arranged in layers.

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Lithium: Lithium is the lightest metal, an alkali metal with atomic number 3. Lithium supplies the cations that balance nitride ions in Li₃N.
Ionic conductivity: Ionic conductivity is the transport of electric charge through the movement of ions in a material. Mobile lithium ions make Li₃N an unusually effective solid lithium-ion conductor.
Lithium-ion battery: A lithium-ion battery stores and releases energy through reversible lithium-ion transfer between electrodes. Li₃N has been studied as a lithium-ion-conducting component in battery designs.
Lithium oxide: Lithium oxide is an ionic compound with formula Li₂O, composed of lithium and oxide ions. Unlike Li₃N, it contains oxide ions and adopts a different crystal structure and chemistry.
Nitrogen: Nitrogen is a nonmetallic chemical element with atomic number 7 and a stable diatomic form, N₂. Nitrogen atoms accept electrons from lithium to form the nitride component.
Solid electrolyte: A solid electrolyte conducts ions through a solid phase while largely blocking electronic current. Li₃N is a solid electrolyte whose lithium-ion transport has drawn extensive study.
Lithium metal battery: A lithium metal battery uses metallic lithium as an anode material. Li₃N coatings and interphases are investigated to regulate lithium deposition and ion transport.
Lithium sulfide: Lithium sulfide is an ionic compound with formula Li₂S, composed of lithium and sulfide ions. Its sulfur anions and lattice provide a comparison with the nitride's distinctive layered structure.
Nitride: A nitride is a binary compound or ion containing nitrogen bonded to a less electronegative element. Li₃N is a representative ionic nitride with nitrogen in the formal −3 oxidation state.
Lithium-ion diffusion: Lithium-ion diffusion is the movement of lithium ions through a material driven by concentration or chemical-potential gradients. Diffusion through Li₃N's lattice underlies its high ionic conductivity.