DOE OSTI2020
LiCr10O15 is Ilmenite-like structured and crystallizes in the orthorhombic Cmce space group. The structure is three-dimensional. Li1+ is bonded in a linear geometry to two equivalent O2- atoms. Both Li–O bond lengths are 2.60 Å. There are three inequivalent Cr+2.90+ sites. In the first Cr+2.90+ site, Cr+2.90+ is bonded to six O2- atoms to form a mixture of distorted edge and corner-sharing CrO6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedra tilt angles range from 0–58°. There are a spread of Cr–O bond distances ranging from 2.02–2.32 Å. In the second Cr+2.90+ site, Cr+2.90+ is bonded to six O2- atoms to form a mixture of edge, face, and corner-sharing CrO6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedra tilt angles range from 11–51°. There are a spread of Cr–O bond distances ranging from 1.98–2.07 Å. In the third Cr+2.90+ site, Cr+2.90+ is bonded to six O2- atoms to form a mixture of edge and corner-sharing CrO6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedra tilt angles range from 0–62°. There are a spread of Cr–O bond distances ranging from 1.96–2.20 Å. There are six inequivalent O2- sites. In the first O2- site, O2- is bonded to one Li1+ and three Cr+2.90+ atoms to form distorted OLiCr3 tetrahedra that share a cornercorner with one OCr6 octahedra, a cornercorner with one OLiCr3 tetrahedra, corners with four equivalent OCr4 trigonal pyramids, and an edgeedge with one OCr6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles are 6°. In the second O2- site, O2- is bonded in a rectangular see-saw-like geometry to four Cr+2.90+ atoms. In the third O2- site, O2- is bonded in a distorted see-saw-like geometry to four Cr+2.90+ atoms. In the fourth O2- site, O2- is bonded to four Cr+2.90+ atoms to form OCr4 trigonal pyramids that share corners with two equivalent OLiCr3 tetrahedra, a cornercorner with one OCr4 trigonal pyramid, an edgeedge with one OCr6 octahedra, and an edgeedge with one OCr4 trigonal pyramid. In the fifth O2- site, O2- is bonded in a see-saw-like geometry to four Cr+2.90+ atoms. In the sixth O2- site, O2- is bonded to six Cr+2.90+ atoms to form OCr6 octahedra that share corners with two equivalent OLiCr3 tetrahedra, edges with two equivalent OLiCr3 tetrahedra, and edges with four equivalent OCr4 trigonal pyramids.