Finding Order in Disorder: The Highly Disordered Lithium Oxonitridophosphate Double Salt Li8+xP3O10−xN1+x (x=1.4(5))

Abstract

AbstractThe crystalline lithium oxonitridophosphate Li8+xP3O10−xN1+x, was obtained in an ampoule synthesis from P3N5 and Li2O. The compound crystallizes in the triclinic space group P with a=5.125(2), b=9.888(5), c=10.217(5) Å, α=70.30(2), β=76.65(2), γ=77.89(2)°. Li8+xP3O10−xN1+x is a double salt, the structure of which contains distinctive complex anion species, namely non‐condensed P(O,N)4 tetrahedra, and P(O,N)7 double tetrahedra connected by one N atom. Additionally, there is mixed occupation of O/N positions, which enables further anionic species by variation of O/N occupancies. To characterize these motifs in detail, complementary analytical methods were applied. The double tetrahedron exhibits significant disorder in single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Furthermore, the title compound is a Li+ ion conductor with a total ionic conductivity of 1.2×10−7 S cm−1 at 25 °C, and a corresponding total activation energy of 0.47(2) eV.