Prediction of <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">L</mml:mi> <mml:msub> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">i</mml:mi> <mml:mn>3</mml:mn> </mml:msub> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">F</mml:mi> <mml:
Using a computational crystal structure search in the Li-Fe-B ternary system, we predict a stable phase of $\mathrm{L}{\mathrm{i}}_{3}\mathrm{F}{\mathrm{e}}_{8}{\mathrm{B}}_{8}$, featuring 1D channels that enable rapid Li-ion transport. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations show that the Li-ion diffusion coefficient in $\mathrm{L}{\mathrm{i}}_{3}\mathrm{F}{\mathrm{e}}_{8}{\mathrm{B}}_{8}$ surpasses that of common electrode and conductive additive materials by several orders of magnitude. The high diffusion in $\mathrm{L}{\mathrm{i}}_{3}\mathrm{F}{\mathrm{e}}_{8}{\mathrm{B}}_{8}$ can be explained by the Frenkel--Kontorova model, which describes an incommensurate state between the Li diffusion chain and the periodic potential field caused by the FeB backbone structure. The favorable lithium-ion diffusivity and mechanical properties of $\mathrm{L}{\mathrm{i}}_{3}\mathrm{F}{\mathrm{e}}_{8}{\mathrm{B}}_{8}$ make it a promising conductive additive for battery materials. An external magnetic field can further manipulate the properties of this material due to its predicted itinerant ferromagnetism, which also offers a platform for exploring spin-dependent phenomena.
Authors
- Junjie Jiang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6150-6553)
- Julia V. Zaikina (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8755-1926)
- Shiya Chen
- Shunqing Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2545-0054)
- Yang Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4344-2920)
- Zepeng Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5954-717X)
- Vladimir Antropov (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0088-6361)
- Zhen Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-0810-8054)
- Paul Oftedahl (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0522-896X)
- Kai‐Ming Ho
Institutions
- Iowa State University (US)
- Xiamen University (CN)
- Ames National Laboratory (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Physical Review Materials
- Published
- 2025-10-03
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1103/37v2-qt21
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Advancements in Battery Materials
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.73