Unlocking fast Li-ion transport in micrometer-sized Mn-based cation-disordered rocksalt cathodes

The development of cation-disordered rocksalt (DRX) cathodes has garnered worldwide attention due to their high capacity, broad chemical space and excellent structural flexibility. However, their low intrinsic Li-ion conductivity necessitates extensive particle pulverization, typically achieved through ball-milling process, which impedes large-scale production. In this work, we present a proton-exchange assisted strategy to activate the Li-ion transport in Mn-based DRX cathodes. Short-range spinel-like ordering is observed to form within the DRX matrix after the post treatment, which significantly enhances the intrinsic Li ion mobility. Notably, more than 280 mAh g1 1 discharge capacity can be delivered at a slow rate from micrometer-sized particles with an overall disordered cation arrangement, which retains more than 150 mAh g1 1 when cycled at a very high rate of 2000 mA g-1.-1 . Furthermore, we also demonstrate that the electrochemical performance of the post-treated cathodes can be further optimized by fine-tuning the reaction parameters. (c) 2024 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. and Science Press. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.