What is Li3N ( Lithium Nitride )?
Li3N is short for lithium nitride, Li3N compound name is lithium nitride, which means that Lithium nitride is the correct name for Li3N. Lithium Nitride is a metal nitrogen compound that is a purple or red crystalline solid, showing a light green luster under reflected light and a ruby color in transmitted light. At room temperature, metallic lithium can partially generate lithium nitride when exposed to air, and lithium generates lithium nitride in a nitrogen stream 10 to 15 times faster than in air. At this time, all lithium is converted into lithium nitride.
Does lithium nitride burn in the air? Lithium is unique in the Group because it also reacts with the nitrogen in the air to form lithium nitride. Lithium burns with a strongly red-tinged flame if heated in the air. Lithium nitride is easily broken down to produce lithium hydroxide and ammonia gas, especially fine powdered lithium nitride, which can burn violently when heated in the air. Therefore, lithium nitride must be handled in an inert atmosphere (such as nitrogen).
Lithium nitride has strong reactivity, especially at high temperatures, it can corrode iron, nickel, copper, platinum, quartz, and ceramics. Is Li3N ionic or covalent? Lithium nitride is an ionic compound. 2 is the charge of lithium nitride. The electronegativity of Li is 0.98 and nitrogen is 3.04.
Lithium Nitride History
Lithium nitride was discovered as early as the end of the 19th century and can be easily prepared by a combination reaction between elements. In 1935, Zintl and Brauer first determined the hexagonal structure of lithium nitride crystals. This structure was redefined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) by Rabenau and Schultz in 1976.
Research on the reaction of lithium nitride with hydrogen began in the early 20th century. Dafert and Miklauz discovered that lithium nitride and hydrogen reacted at 220-250 ° C to form a substance with a composition of "Li3NH4". They continued to heat this substance and decomposed it into a composition with a composition of "Li3NH2" at a higher temperature (> 700 ° C) Substance and hydrogen. Later they and Ruff and Georges found that this "Li3NH4" is Li2NH + LiH, and "Li3NH2" is LiNH2 + 2 LiH.
Nowadays, lithium nitride has been applied in many fields. The ionic polarization model can provide a reasonable explanation for the catalytic effect of Li3N at atmospheric pressure and high temperature and the role as a nitrogen source in the solvothermal method.
Li3N produced by reacting metallic lithium with N2 at 500 ℃ is a good catalyst for synthesizing cBN at high temperature and high pressure. It can also catalyze the reaction of generating hBN at normal pressure and high temperature, and as a synthesis of hBN in solvothermal method And cBN nitrogen source.
Lithium Nitride Application
Lithium Nitride Uses
Lithium Nitride is a brownish-red, lump-shaped solid or a sand-like powder. It is used as a reducing agent. What is lithium nitride used for?
1. Solid electrolyte
Lithium nitride is a fast ionic conductor, and its electrical conductivity is higher than other inorganic lithium salts. Many studies have been directed to the application of lithium nitride as a solid electrode and cathode material for batteries.
As a fast ion conductor material, it should have a higher decomposition voltage, lower electronic conductivity, higher ionic conductivity, and better chemical stability. Many lithium fast-ion conductors have the above characteristics, and they can be used to manufacture all-solid-state batteries with excellent performance, as a power source for calculators, camera flashes, electronic watches, and increasingly electronic equipment and electronic products; It can also be used to manufacture special ionic devices.
People had envisaged the construction of large-scale energy storage (electricity) energy reactors with lithium fast ion conductor materials. When the peak hours of electricity consumption in big cities late at night, excess electricity can be charged into energy storage stations. During peak periods of electricity consumption, electricity is continuously being supplied to the grid. Because of the broad application prospects of lithium fast-ion conductors, people have aroused great interest, and extensive and in-depth research work has been carried out to find better lithium fast-ion conductors.
2. Preparation of cubic boron nitride
In addition to being used as a solid electrolyte, lithium nitride is an effective catalyst for the conversion of hexagonal boron nitride to cubic boron nitride.
In 1987, Japanese scholars obtained an N-type cBN single crystal with a particle size of 2 mm and an irregular shape by seeding Si under ultra-high pressure and high-temperature conditions, and then grown a Be-doped P-type single crystal on the surface of the crystal by secondary high-pressure cBN single crystal, and finally obtained cBN homogenous PN junction by cutting and grinding.
There is also a similar synthesis experiment in China. The experiment was completed on a domestic DS-029B six-sided top press. In order to study the effect of catalysts/additives on the shape of cBN samples synthesized by high pressure, the experiment used hBN with a purity of 99% as the initial raw material, using self-made lithium nitride Li3N and lithium hydride LiH as catalysts, and commercial 99% purity lithium amide LiNH2 additive.
In addition to the above experiments, based on the traditional phase transition method, lithium nitride is used as a catalyst, hexagonal boron nitride is used as raw material, and cubic boron nitride is synthesized by adding different additives. With the help of X-ray diffraction technology, Raman diffraction technology, etc. to analyze and characterize the experimental products, it can be obtained that different additives will have different effects on the system.
Li3N used in OLED
3. Organic light-emitting device electron injection layer
Organic Light-Emitting Device (OLED) has all-solid-state, active light emission, wide viewing angle, fast response (<1 μs), wide operating temperature range (-45 ℃ - +85 ℃) and the flexible substrate can be made. The advantages of high power consumption and low unit power consumption are considered by the industry as one of the next-generation mainstream display and lighting technologies. The application of various new organic semiconductor materials and new organic device structures has made significant progress in OLED performance and industrialization.
Lithium nitride (Li3N) is used as an n-type dopant into the electron transport material tris (8-hydroxy quinoline) aluminum (Alq3) layer to improve the performance of OLED devices. There have been reports of Li3N as an electron injection layer and cathode The buffer layer in between can improve the performance of the invention. During the evaporation process, Li3N decomposes into Li and N2. Only Li can be deposited on the device, and N2 has no adverse effect on device performance. Experiments show that the Alq3 layer doped with Li3N can be used as an electron injection layer to effectively increase the efficiency of OLED and reduce the operating voltage of the device.
Lithium-based materials improve OLED electron injection performance
| Aspect | Lithium Nitride (Li₃N) | Lithium Carbonate (Li₂CO₃) |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Purple or red crystalline solid; ruby in transmitted light | White powder or monoclinic crystals |
| Primary application fields | Solid-state electrolytes, cubic boron nitride synthesis, OLED electron injection layers | Lithium-ion battery cathodes, glass/ceramics, pharmaceuticals |
| Conductivity | High ionic conductivity (fast ion conductor) | Insulating; not used for ionic conduction |
| Reactivity / Stability | Highly reactive; decomposes in moist air; must be handled under inert atmosphere | Chemically stable under normal conditions; sparingly soluble in water |
| Role in lithium industry | Niche, high-value functional material | Bulk, foundational raw material |
| Production scale | Relatively small-scale, specialized synthesis | Massive industrial production (ores and brines) |
4. Q: How is lithium carbonate produced industrially, and what are the main raw material sources?
A: Industrially, lithium carbonate is primarily extracted from two types of sources: spodumene ore (a lithium-bearing silicate mineral) and brine deposits (salt lakes rich in dissolved lithium salts). The ore route typically involves high-temperature roasting, acid leaching, and subsequent purification and precipitation steps. The brine method, on the other hand, relies on solar evaporation to concentrate lithium salts, followed by chemical treatment to remove competing ions like magnesium and calcium, and finally precipitation with sodium carbonate to obtain Li₂CO₃. In recent years, brine-based production has gained popularity due to its lower energy consumption and cost advantages, though each method has its own trade-offs in terms of purity, yield, and environmental footprint.
5. Q: Is lithium carbonate hazardous to health or the environment?
A: While lithium carbonate is not classified as a highly toxic substance, it does carry certain health and environmental risks that shouldn't be overlooked. Inhalation of its dust can irritate the respiratory system, and prolonged skin contact may cause mild irritation. In terms of ecological impact, lithium compounds can be moderately harmful to aquatic life if released in large quantities, as they may alter water pH and affect local organisms. That said, proper industrial hygiene practices—such as using local exhaust ventilation, wearing dust masks and gloves, and preventing uncontrolled releases—are generally sufficient to manage these risks. It's also worth noting that as battery recycling technologies advance, the environmental pressure from spent lithium-containing materials is gradually being alleviated.
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