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    Pressure-driven superconductivity and unexpected semiconducting behavior in Li-Pt electrides

    Xinrui Jia1,2, Yao Sun1, Ailing Liu1, Shoutao Zhang3,*, Xin Zhong1,2,†, and Hanyu Liu1,2,4,‡

    • 1Key Laboratory of Material Simulation Methods & Software of Ministry of Education, College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
    • 2State Key Laboratory of High Pressure and Superhard Materials, College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
    • 3State Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics and Key Laboratory of UV-Emitting Materials and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Physics, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
    • 4International Center of Future Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China

    • *Contact author: zhangst966@nenu.edu.cn
    • †Contact author: zhongxin@jlu.edu.cn
    • ‡Contact author: hanyuliu@jlu.edu.cn

    Phys. Rev. B 113, 214515 – Published 17 June, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/d24s-yf7c

    Abstract

    Lithium-abundant electrides, characterized by the presence of interstitial anionic electrons, have attracted considerable attention owing to their extraordinary properties, including superconductivity. Here, we conduct comprehensive first-principles structure-prediction simulations to investigate the phase stability of lithium-platinum (Li-Pt) compounds under high-pressure conditions. Our calculations identify several hitherto unknown electride phases in the Li-Pt system, namely, Li4Pt, Li5Pt, Li6Pt, Li11Pt, and Li12Pt. Among the metallic phases uncovered, Li6Pt exhibits the highest superconducting critical temperature (Tc), reaching 18 K at 120 GPa. Strikingly, Li12Pt, the phase with the highest lithium content, is unexpectedly predicted to be a semiconductor. We further clarify the fundamental criteria governing interstitial electron localization and establish systematic correlations between superconductivity and key electronic and vibrational descriptors, including the electronic density of states, electron-phonon coupling strength, and phonon softening across all predicted phases. These results substantially broaden the structural diversity of the Li-Pt system and underscore the intriguing coexistence of superconductivity and semiconducting behavior in lithium-based electride materials.

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