Explore the Effects of Microstructural Defects on Voltage Fade of Li- and Mn-Rich Cathodes

Li- and Mn-rich (LMR) cathode materials have been considered as promising candidates for energy storage applications due to high energy density. However, these materials suffer from a serious problem of voltage fade. Oxygen loss and the layered-to-spinel phase transition are two major contributors of such voltage fade. In this paper, using a combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD), pair distribution function (PDF), X-ray absorption (XAS) techniques, and aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), we studied the effects of micro structural defects, especially the grain boundaries, on the oxygen loss and layered-to-spinel phase transition through prelithiation of a model compound Li₂Ru_0.5Mn_0.5O₃. It is found that the nanosized micro structural defects, especially the large amount of grain boundaries created by the prelithiation can greatly accelerate the oxygen loss and voltage fade. Defects (such as nanosized grain boundaries) and oxygen release form a positive feedback loop, promote each other during cycling, and accelerate the two major voltage fade contributors: the transition metal reduction and layered-to-spinel phase transition. These results clearly demonstrate the important relationships among the oxygen loss, microstructural defects and voltage fade. The importance of maintaining good crystallinity and protecting the surface of LMR material are also suggested.