Dynamic Evolution of Antisite Defect and Coupling Anionic Redox in High-Voltage Ultrahigh-Ni Cathode.

Abstract

High-voltage ultrahigh-Ni cathodes (LiNixCoyMn1-x-yO2, x ≥ 0.9) can significantly enhance the energy density and cost-effectiveness of Li-ion batteries beyond current levels. However, severe Li-Ni antisite defects and their undetermined dynamic evolutions during high-voltage cycling limit the further development of these ultrahigh-Ni cathodes. In this study, we quantify the dynamic evolutions of the Li-Ni antisite defect using operando neutron diffraction and reveal its coupling relationship with anionic redox, another critical challenge restricting ultrahigh-Ni cathodes. We detect a clear Ni migration coupled with an unstable oxygen lattice, which accompanies the oxidation of oxygen anions at high voltages. Based on these findings, we propose that minimized Li-Ni antisite defects and controlled Ni migrations are essential for achieving stable high-voltage cycling structures in ultrahigh-Ni cathodes. This is further demonstrated by the optimized ultrahigh-Ni cathode, where reduced dynamic evolutions of the Li-Ni antisite defect effectively inhibit the anionic redox, enhancing the 4.5 V cycling stability.