Structural instability during cycling is an important factor affecting the electrochemical performance of nickel-rich ternary cathode materials for Li-ion batteries. In this work, enhanced structural stability and electrochemical performance of LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 cathode materials are achieved by Ga doping. Compared with the pristine electrode, Li[Ni0.6Co0.2Mn0.2]0.98Ga0.02O2 electrode exhibits remarkably improved electrochemical performance and thermal safety. At 0.5C rate, the discharge capacity increases from 169.3 mAh g-1 to 177 mAh g-1, and the capacity retention also rises from 82.8% to 89.8% after 50 cycles. In the charged state of 4.3 V, its exothermic temperature increases from 245.13 °C to more than 271.24 °C, and the total exothermic heat decreases from 561.7 to 225.6 J·g-1. Both AC impedance spectroscopy and in situ XRD analysis confirmed that Ga doping can improve the stability of the electrode/electrolyte interface structure and bulk structure during cycling, which helps to improve the electrochemical performance of LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 cathode material.
Keywords: Ga doping; LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2; cathode material; lithium ion batteries; structural stability.