A Long Cycle-Life High-Voltage Spinel Lithium-Ion Battery Electrode Achieved by Site-Selective Doping

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2020 Jun 22;59(26):10594-10602. doi: 10.1002/anie.202001454. Epub 2020 Apr 15.

Abstract

Spinel LiNi0.5 Mn1.5 O4 (LNMO) is a promising cathode candidate for the next-generation high energy-density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Unfortunately, the application of LNMO is hindered by its poor cycle stability. Now, site-selectively doped LNMO electrode is prepared with exceptional durability. In this work, Mg is selectively doped onto both tetrahedral (8a) and octahedral (16c) sites in the Fd 3 m structure. This site-selective doping not only suppresses unfavorable two-phase reactions and stabilizes the LNMO structure against structural deformation, but also mitigates the dissolution of Mn during cycling. Mg-doped LNMOs exhibit extraordinarily stable electrochemical performance in both half-cells and prototype full-batteries with novel TiNb2 O7 counter-electrodes. This work pioneers an atomic-doping engineering strategy for electrode materials that could be extended to other energy materials to create high-performance devices.

Keywords: high energy density; lithium-ion batteries; long cycle life; site-selective doping; spinel cathodes.