Opening a New Horizon for the Facile Synthesis of Long-Life Ni-Rich Layered Cathode

Abstract

The compositional partitioning of the Li[Ni x Co y Mn 1– x – y ]O 2 layered cathodes, wherein the unstable but capacity-maximizing Ni-enriched compartment is encapsulated by a chemically protective Mn-rich shell, has been proven to improve the cycling performance of Ni-rich cathodes. However, the input of excessive thermal energy during the cathode calcination process can eliminate the advantageous features of the concentration gradient (CG) design. Accordingly, it is crucial to determine the optimal calcination conditions, e.g., temperature, and duration, and to precisely control these parameters. Herein, we propose a strategy that can effectively ameliorate the deterioration of cathodes resulting from excessive thermal energy input and remarkably improve their cycling performance. It was revealed that a trace amount of tungsten incorporation during the cathode calcination can effectively mitigate the high-temperature-induced cathode degeneration and maintain outstanding product quality over a wide range of temperatures. Thus, the proposed strategy opens new avenues for the facile synthesis of long-life Ni-rich CG cathodes.