Understanding the Improved Kinetics and Cyclability of a Li₂MnSiO₄ Cathode with Calcium Substitution

Limited practical capacity and poor cyclability caused by sluggish kinetics and structural instability are essential aspects that constrain the potential application of Li₂MnSiO₄ cathode materials. Herein, Li₂Mn_{1- x}Ca _xSiO₄/C nanoplates are synthesized using a diethylene-glycol-assisted solvothermal method, targeting to circumvent its drawbacks. Compared with the pristine material, the Ca-substituted material exhibits enhanced electrochemical kinetics and improved cycle life performance. In combination with experimental studies and first-principles calculations, we reveal that Ca incorporation enhances electronic conductivity and the Li-ion diffusion coefficient of the Ca-substituted material, and it improves the structural stability by reducing the lattice distortion. It also shrinks the crystal size and alleviates structure collapse to enhance cycling performance. It is demonstrated that Ca can alleviate the two detrimental factors and shed lights on the further searching for suitable dopants.