Li-rich cathode materials are regarded as ideal cathode materials, owing to their excellent electrochemical capacity. However, residual lithium compounds, which are formed on the surface of the materials by reacting with moisture and carbon dioxide in ambient atmosphere, can impair the surface structure, injure the capacity, and impede the electrode fabrication using Li-rich materials. Exposure to air atmosphere causes the formation of residual lithium compounds; the formation of such compounds is believed to be related to humidity, temperature, and time during handling and storage. In this study, we demonstrated for the first time an artificial strategy for controlling time, temperature, and humidity to accelerate exposure. The formation and effect of residual lithium compounds on Li-rich cathode material Li1.35[Ni0.35Mn0.65]O2 were systematically investigated. The residual lithium compounds formed possessed primarily an amorphous structure and were partially coated on the surface. These compounds include LiOH, Li2O, and Li2CO3. Li2CO3 is the major component in residual lithium compounds. The presence of residual lithium compounds on the material surface led to a high discharge capacity loss and large discharge voltage fading. Understanding the formation and suppressing the effect of residual lithium compounds will help prevent their unfavorable effects and improve the electrochemical performance.
Keywords: Li-ion batteries; Li-rich material; cathode material; electrochemical performance; residual lithium compounds.