Integrated Oxygen-Constraining Strategy for Ni-Rich Layered Oxide Cathodes

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Nickel-rich layered oxides are crucial for high-energy lithium-ion batteries.
• These materials suffer from oxygen loss and structural degradation, limiting performance.
• Current surface modifications offer limited protection against these issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an effective oxygen-constraining strategy for stabilizing nickel-rich layered oxide cathodes.
• To address oxygen evolution and structural degradation during battery operation.
• To enhance the electrochemical performance and cycling stability of lithium-ion batteries.

Main Methods:

• Engineered a La, Fe gradient diffusion layer and LaFeO3 coating on Ni-rich layered particles.
• Incorporated an antioxidant binder into the electrode formulation.
• Constructed a three-tiered defense system: subsurface oxygen immobilization, interface oxygen blocking, and surface oxygen capture.

Main Results:

• Achieved effective surface passivation and mitigated bulk/surface degradation.
• Suppressed detrimental side reactions, leading to enhanced electrochemical performance.
• Demonstrated impressive cycling stability in half and full cells, even at 4.7 V and 45 °C.

Conclusions:

• The multilevel oxygen-constraining strategy offers superior protection compared to single modifications.
• This approach significantly enhances the stability and performance of Ni-rich layered oxide cathodes.
• The strategy is extendable to other layered oxide cathodes facing oxygen release challenges, advancing high-energy battery development.