Solid-state approach for synthesizing single crystal LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode of lithium-ion batteries

Single crystal Ni-rich LiNixCoyMn1-x-yO2 (SC-NCM) cathode has been highly concerned for increased cyclic stability and safety. However, the ideal approach for synthesizing SC-NCM is still challenging. In this work, single crystal LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (SC-NCM811) cathode with a well-layered structure was successfully synthesized by a simple and contamination-free solid-state approach. The results showed that higher calcination temperature (above 900 celcius) resulted in a rapid increase in particle size, which caused low discharge capacity due to the prolonged lithium diffusion pathway. Under the oxygen atmosphere, SCNCM811 exhibited improved capacity retention compared to the air atmosphere, which could be attributed to the increased lattice oxygen content and reduced Li/Ni mixing. The prepared SC-NCM811 delivered an initial discharge capacity of 191mAh g-1 and showed 74% capacity retention after 100 cycles. The present work provides a simple and contamination-free approach for synthesizing single crystal Ni-rich cathode. (c) 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.