Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 18, 2026
10:03
Characterization of Electrode Materials for Lithium Ion and Sodium Ion Batteries Using Synchrotron Radiation Techniques
Published on: November 11, 2013
26.0K
Nanostructured LiNi0.80Co0.15Al0.05O2 (NCA) for fast-charging, high-capacity battery cathodes
Victoria M Basile1, Chun-Han Lai2, Grace Y Kim1
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA. tolbert@chem.ucla.edu.
Nanoscale Horizons
|September 10, 2025
Summary
Nanostructuring LiNi$_{0.80}$Co$_{0.15}$Al$_{0.05}$O$_{2}$ (NCA) enhances battery performance by improving lithium-ion diffusion. Medium-sized nanostructured NCA exhibits superior specific capacity at fast rates, enabling high energy density in full cells.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Nanostructuring materials can improve lithium-ion diffusion and pseudocapacitive behavior.
- Commercial LiNi$_{0.80}$Co$_{0.15}$Al$_{0.05}$O$_{2}$ (NCA) performance is limited by diffusion lengths and surface contaminants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize nanostructured NCA with controlled particle sizes.
- To investigate the impact of nanostructuring on electrochemical kinetics and pseudocapacitive behavior.
- To evaluate the full-cell performance of nanostructured NCA.
Main Methods:
- Colloidal polymer templating for NCA synthesis.
- Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and conventional heating for particle size control.
- X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for surface contaminant analysis.
- Electrochemical kinetics studies.
Main Results:
- Nanostructured NCA exhibited improved charge/discharge kinetics compared to bulk NCA.
- Medium-sized nanostructured NCA (∼300 nm) achieved the highest specific capacity (150 mAh g$^{-1}$ at 16C) at fast rates.
- XPS identified surface Li$_{2}$CO$_{3}$ and NiO-like contaminants hindering diffusion.
- Full cells with nanostructured NCA and a pseudocapacitive anode reached 95 W h kg$^{-1}$ energy density and stable cycling for 2000 cycles at 10C.
Conclusions:
- Nanostructuring is an effective strategy to enhance NCA battery performance.
- Optimized particle size and reduced contaminants are crucial for fast-rate capability.
- Nanostructured NCA shows promise for high-energy, long-lasting battery applications.
