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Title: Origin of Phase Separation in Ni-Rich Layered Oxide Cathode Materials During Electrochemical Cycling

Journal Article · · Chemistry of Materials

In intercalation materials, the kinetics and uniformity of mass transport across the nanocrystalline domains dictate the structural reversibility and transport capability at the macroscopic level. (De)intercalation-induced interlayer disintegrations exhibit anisotropic crystallite size change. Due to the anisotropic mass transport mechanism, separated phases are inherently crystallographically oriented. One such material is LiNi$1–x–y$Mn$$x$$Co$$y$$O2, which plays a pivotal role in advanced Li-ion batteries but suffers from severe phase inhomogeneities under fast charge or electrochemical aging. Here, using operando synchrotron techniques, we probe the mechanistic origins of the compositional and orientational-dependent phase separations during the electrochemical cycling of LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 by comprehensive analysis of both in-plane and out-of-plane reflections. In the H2/H3 phase regime, in-plane domain propagation occurs due to increased covalency despite the severe decay of interlayer crystallographic order, resulting in the change of crystalline domain shape from 3D spheres to two-dimensional nanosheets. The crystallographically selective XRD line splitting is linked to the geometry of the facets as mass transfers along the ab plane. In conclusion, this work provides mechanistic insights into crystallographic orientation-dependent phase inhomogeneity under fast charge and extended cycling.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities (SUF); DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory (ARL); New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA); New York State Department of Economic Development (DED)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0012704; SC0012673; W911NF-20–2–0284; 75039; 76890
OSTI ID:
2246889
Report Number(s):
BNL-225103-2023-JAAM
Journal Information:
Chemistry of Materials, Vol. 35, Issue 21; ISSN 0897-4756
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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