A New Co-Free Ni-Rich LiNi_0.8Fe_0.1Mn_0.1O₂ Cathode for Low-Cost Li-Ion Batteries

In recent years, with the rapid development of electric vehicles, the ever-fluctuating cobalt price has become a decisive constraint on the supply chain of the lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery industry. To address these challenges, a new and unreported cobalt-free (Co-free) material with a general formula of LiNi_0.8Fe_0.1Mn_0.1O₂ (NFM) is introduced. This Co-free material is synthesized via the coprecipitation method and examined by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and density functional theory (DFT) to investigate the morphological, crystal-structure, and electrochemical properties. The NFM cathode can deliver a specific capacity of 202.6 mA h g^-1 (0.1C, 3.0-4.5 V), a specific energy capacity of 798.8 W h kg^-1 in material level (0.1C, 3.0-4.5 V), a reasonable rate capability, and a stable cycling performance (81.1% discharge capacity retention after 150 cycles at 10C, 3.0-4.3 V). Although the research on this subject is still in its early stage, the capability of this novel cathode material as a practical candidate for applications in next-generation Co-free lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is highlighted in this study.