Effects of gradient concentration on the microstructure and electrochemical performance of LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 cathode materials

Nickel(Ni)-rich layered materials have attracted considerable interests as promising cathode materials for lithium ion batteries(LIBs)owing to their higher capacities and lower cost.Nevertheless,Mn-rich cathode materials usually suffer from poor cyclability caused by the unavoidable side-reactions between Ni^4+ions on the surface a nd electrolytes.The design of gradient concentration(GC)particles with Ni-rich inside and Mn-rich outside is proved to be an efficient way to address the issue.Herein,a series of LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2(LNCM 622)materials with different GCs(the atomic ratio of Ni/Mn decreasing from the core to the outer layer)have been successfully synthesized via rationally designed co-precipitation process.Experimental results demonstrate that the GC of LNCM 622 materials plays an important role in their microstructure and electrochemical properties.The as-prepared GC3.5 cathode material with optimal GC can provide a shorter pathway for lithium-ion diffusion and stabilize the near-surface region,and finally achieve excellent electrochemical performances,delivering a discharge capacity over 176 mAh·g^-1 at 0.2 C rate and exhibiting capacity retention up to 94%after 100 cycles at 1 C.T h e rationally-designed co-precipitation process for fabricating the Ni-rich layered cathode materials with gradient composition lays a solid foundation for the preparation of high-performance cathode materials for LIBs.