Evolution Of Lattice Structure And Chemical Composition Of The Surface Reconstruction Layer In Li1.2Ni0.2Mn0.6O2 Cathode Material For Lithium Ion Batteries

Journal Article · Wed Jan 14 04:00:00 EST 2015 · Nano Letters, 15(1):514-522

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/nl5038598· OSTI ID:1170053

Yan, Pengfei; Nie, Anmin; Zheng, Jianming; Zhou, Yungang; Lu, Dongping; Zhang, Xiaofeng; Xu, Rui; Belharouak, Ilias; Zu, Xiaotao; Xiao, Jie; Amine, Khalil; Liu, Jun; Gao, Fei; Shahbazian-Yassar, Reza; Zhang, Jiguang; Wang, Chong M.

Voltage and capacity fading of layer structured lithium and manganese rich (LMR) transition metal oxide is directly related to the structural and composition evolution of the material during the cycling of the battery. However, understanding such evolution at atomic level remains elusive. Based on atomic level structural imaging, elemental mapping of the pristine and cycled samples and density functional theory calculations, it is found that accompanying the hoping of Li ions is the simultaneous migration of Ni ions towards the surface from the bulk lattice, leading to the gradual depletion of Ni in the bulk lattice and thickening of a Ni enriched surface reconstruction layer (SRL). Furthermore, Ni and Mn also exhibit concentration partitions within the thin layer of SRL in the cycled samples where Ni is almost depleted at the very surface of the SRL, indicating the preferential dissolution of Ni ions in the electrolyte. Accompanying the elemental composition evolution, significant structural evolution is also observed and identified as a sequential phase transition of C2/m →I41→Spinel. For the first time, it is found that the surface facet terminated with pure cation is more stable than that with a mixture of cation and anion. These findings firmly established how the elemental species in the lattice of LMR cathode transfer from the bulk lattice to surface layer and further into the electrolyte, clarifying the long standing confusion and debate on the structure and chemistry of the surface layer and their correlation with the voltage fading and capacity decaying of LMR cathode. Therefore, this work provides critical insights for designing of cathode materials with both high capacity and voltage stability during cycling.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US), Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1170053
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-106363; 48379
• Journal Information: Nano Letters, 15(1):514-522, Journal Name: Nano Letters, 15(1):514-522
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory
Lithium ion battery
LMR cathode
surface reconstruction
ion migration
chemical partition