Enhanced Performance of Li-Rich Manganese Oxide Cathode Synergistically Modificated by F-Doping and Oleic Acid Treatment

Even lithium-rich manganese oxides (LRMOs) are considered as promising cathode materials for next-generation lithium-ion batteries, their commercialization is hindered mainly by the low initial Coulombic efficiency, poor cyclability and unexpected capacity fade. Here, a synergistic modification strategy by using both F doping and weak organic acid surface treatment is proposed to improve the electrochemical performances of LRMOs significantly. Optimized Li1.2 Mn0.54 Ni0.13 Co0.13 O1.95 F0.05 sample with surface oxygen vacancy defects and thin carbon coating layer exhibits profound electrochemical performances, for example, discharging capacities of 298.6 and 212.5 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C and 1 C rate, respectively. In addition, it can own an initial Coulombic efficiency of 84.4%, which is much higher than that of untreated sample. In situ X-ray diffraction analysis implies that synergistic modification can enhance the skeleton stability of LRMOs , especially at a high state of charge. Galvanostatic intermittent titration technique analysis suggests that as-developed synergistic modification can accelerate the lithium ions diffusion. Theoretical calculations reveal that substituted F and oxygen vacancy defects can diminish the diffusion energy barrier of Li+ ions. This work provides a new synergistic modification strategy to improve the comprehensive properties of LRMO cathode effectively.

Electrochemically Inert Li2MnO3: The Key to Improving the Cycling Stability of Li-Rich Manganese Oxide Used in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Lithium-rich manganese oxide is a promising candidate for the next-generation cathode material of lithium-ion batteries because of its low cost and high specific capacity. Herein, a series of xLi2MnO3·(1 - x)LiMnO2 nanocomposites were designed via an ingenious one-step dynamic hydrothermal route. A high concentration of alkaline solution, intense hydrothermal conditions, and stirring were used to obtain nanoparticles with a large surface area and uniform dispersity. The experimental results demonstrate that 0.072Li2MnO3·0.928LiMnO2 nanoparticles exhibit a desirable electrochemical performance and deliver a high capacity of 196.4 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C. This capacity was maintained at 190.5 mAh g-1 with a retention rate of 97.0% by the 50th cycle, which demonstrates the excellent cycling stability. Furthermore, XRD characterization of the cycled electrode indicates that the Li2MnO3 phase of the composite is inert, even under a high potential (4.8 V), which is in contrast with most previous reports of lithium-rich materials. The inertness of Li2MnO3 is attributed to its high crystallinity and few structural defects, which make it difficult to activate. Hence, the final products demonstrate a favorable electrochemical performance with appropriate proportions of two phases in the composite, as high contents of inert Li2MnO3 lower the capacity, while a sufficient structural stability cannot be achieved with low contents. The findings indicate that controlling the composition through a dynamic hydrothermal route is an effective strategy for developing a Mn-based cathode material for lithium-ion batteries.

Reactions of the Li2MnO3 Cathode in an All-Solid-State Thin-Film Battery during Cycling

We evaluated the structural change of the cathode material Li₂MnO₃ that was deposited as an epitaxial film with an (001) orientation in an all-solid-state battery. We developed an in situ surface X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique, where X-rays are incident at a very low grazing angle of 0.1°. An X-ray with wavelength of 0.82518 Å penetrated an ∼2 μm-thick amorphous Li₃PO₄ solid-state electrolyte and ∼1 μm-thick metal Li anode on the Li₂MnO₃ cathode. Experiments revealed a structural change to a high-capacity (activated) phase that proceeded gradually and continuously with cycling. The activated phase barely showed any capacity fading. First-principles calculations suggested that the activated phase has O1 stacking, which is attained by first delithiating to an intermediate phase with O3 stacking and tetrahedral Li. This intermediate phase has a low Li migration barrier path in the [001] direction, but further delithiation causes an energetically favorable and irreversible transition to the O1 phase. We propose a mechanism of structural change with cycling: charging to a high voltage at a sufficiently low Li concentration typically induces irreversible transition to a phase detrimental to cycling that could, but not necessarily, be accompanied by the dissolution of Mn and/or the release of O into the electrolyte, while a gradual irreversible transition to an activated phase happens at a similar Li concentration under a lower voltage.