Minimizing Inter-Lattice Strain to Stabilize Li-Rich Cathode by Order-Disorder Control

Li-rich Mn-based layered (LMR) cathodes with anionic redox chemistry show great potential for next-generation sustainable Li-ion battery (LIB) applications due to the low cost and high energy density. However, the asynchronous structural evolutions with cycling in the heterogeneous composite structure of LMR lead to serious lattice strain and thus fast electrochemical decay, which hinders the commercialization of LMR cathodes. Here, an order-disorder coherent LMR cathode is demonstrated that exhibits a higher average voltage (by 0.25 V), negligible voltage decay (97.6% voltage retention after 100 cycles at 100 mA g^-1), and enhanced cycling stability (98% capacity retention after 200 cycles at 100 mA g^-1) compared to its layered oxide counterparts. It is proposed that this order-disorder coherent structure design can promote a more synchronous and homogeneous structure evolution during charge and discharge, thus minimizing lattice strain, which significantly prevents layer collapse and collective degradation at high voltage, improving the electrochemical stability. The study displays the feasibility of optimizing the performance of Li-rich cathode materials through a dedicated order-disorder structure control for sustainable energy storage.