Issue 25, 2024

Regulating d0 transition metals and facilitating high-performance Li-excess cation-disordered rock salt cathode materials

Abstract

Cation-disordered rock salt (DRX) cathode materials have attracted significant attention owing to their high specific capacity, low cost, and utilization of earth-abundant elements. The electrochemical properties of DRX materials are influenced by multiple factors. Among these, doping with d0 elements, which have no valence d electrons in transition metals, is a widely accepted approach within the research community. However, it is still dependent on the d0-TM concentration applied to DRX materials, structure stability, and electrochemical properties. Herein, a systematic study was conducted on a series of Li1.2Mn0.43+TixMn0.4−x4+O2 DRX materials with varying contents of Ti4+. Li1.2Mn0.43+Ti0.1Mn0.34+O2 (x = 0.1, denoted as MT0.1) exhibited excellent electrochemical performance, with an initial discharge capacity of 283.9 mA h g−1 at a current density of 20 mA g−1 and a capacity retention of 86% after 50 cycles. The charge compensation process, including both Mn3+/Mn4+ cationic redox (Mn3+/Mn4+) and oxygen redox, and structural stability within MT0.1 during charging–discharging are elucidated from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) characterization results, respectively. A fundamental understanding was also achieved using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which revealed that MT0.1 has a lower Li+ diffusion energy barrier and thermodynamic transition state stability among these compounds. These thorough studies offer crucial information for comprehending DRX cathode materials for Li-ion batteries (LIBs) that have excellent structural stability. Our research unveiled the concentrations of d0 elements that play a crucial role in DRX materials, providing a strategy to rationally design Li-excess DRX materials for advanced energy storage systems.

Graphical abstract: Regulating d0 transition metals and facilitating high-performance Li-excess cation-disordered rock salt cathode materials

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
04 Mar 2024
Accepted
13 May 2024
First published
14 May 2024

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2024,12, 15154-15162

Regulating d0 transition metals and facilitating high-performance Li-excess cation-disordered rock salt cathode materials

H. Song, W. Xie, Y. Tian, M. Guo, T. Wang, D. Kang, M. Jia and X. Zhang, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2024, 12, 15154 DOI: 10.1039/D4TA01491J

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