Electrolyte Therapy for Improving the Performance of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 Cathodes Assembled Lithium-Ion Batteries

High voltage spinel manganese oxide LiNi₀.₅Mn_1.5O₄ (LNMO) cathodes are promising for practical applications owing to several strengths including high working voltages, excellent operating safety, low costs, and so on. However, LNMO-based lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) fade rapidly mainly owing to unqualified electrolytes, hence becoming a big obstacle toward practical applications. To tackle this roadblock, substantial progress has been made thus far, and yet challenges still remain, while rare reviews have systematically discussed the status quo and future development of electrolyte optimization coupling with LNMO cathodes. Here, we discuss cycling degradation mechanisms at the cathode/electrolyte interface and ideal requirements of electrolytes for LNMO cathode-equipped LIBs, as well as review the recent advance of electrolyte optimization for LNMO cathode-equipped LIBs in detail. And then, the perspectives regarding the future research opportunities in developing state-of-the-art electrolytes are also presented. The authors hope to shed light on the rational optimization of advanced organic electrolytes in order to boost the large-scale practical applications of high voltage LNMO cathode-based LIBs.

Octahedral and Porous Spherical Ordered LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 Spinel: the Role of Morphology on Phase Transition Behavior and Electrode/Electrolyte Interfacial Properties

LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ compound as positive electrode of the lithium ion battery with high specific energy or high specific power, has a good application prospect in the field of electric vehicles such as PHEV/EVs. The influence of the morphology of ordered LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ on phase transition behavior and electrode/electrolyte interfacial properties is investigated, including octahedral and porous spherical morphologies. Three phases named LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ (Li1), Li_0.5Ni_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ (Li0.5) and Ni_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ (Li0) are detected by in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement with high time resolution in the octahedral and porous spherical ordered LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ materials during charge and discharge, and the phase transition kinetics of the two samples at high discharge rate and after charge-discharge cycles are elucidated. It is a clear demonstration that the high-rate capability and cycle life of LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ material are influenced by crystal morphology. The porous spherical LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ material exhibits better rate performance, associated with the fast reaction kinetic of Li0.5 phase formation. It is noticed that the coexistence of three cubic phases in the initial discharge stage is observed in the cycled octahedral sample, resulting in a higher capacity fading after 200 cycles at room temperature and 1 C. However, the porous spherical sample exhibits a poor cyclic performance at 55 °C and 1 C. This may be attributed to the fact that the porous spherical sample with high specific surface area leads to an accelerated decomposition of the electrolyte at 55 °C, and the thick interfacial film and high content of LiF on the electrode surface are formed.