Improved Electrochemical Performance of Li-Rich Cathode Materials via Spinel Li₂MoO₄ Coating

Li-rich manganese-based cathode materials (LRMs) are considered one of the most promising cathode materials for the next generation of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of their high energy density. However, there are problems such as a capacity decay, poor rate performance, and continuous voltage drop, which seriously limit their large-scale commercial applications. In this work, Li_1.2Mn_0.54Co_0.13Ni_0.13O₂ coated with Li₂MoO₄ with a unique spinel structure was prepared with the wet chemistry method and the subsequent calcination process. The Li₂MoO₄ coating layer with a spinel structure could provide a 3D Li⁺ transport channel, which is beneficial for improving rate performance, while protecting LRMs from electrolyte corrosion, suppressing interface side reactions, and improving cycling stability. The capacity retention rate of LRMs coated with 3 wt% Li₂MoO₄ increased from 69.25% to 81.85% after 100 cycles at 1 C, and the voltage attenuation decreased from 7.06 to 4.98 mV per cycle. The lower R_ct also exhibited an improved rate performance. The results indicate that the Li₂MoO₄ coating effectively improves the cyclic stability and electrochemical performance of LRMs.