Eliminating the irreversible capacity loss of high capacity layered Li[Li0.2Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.13]O2 cathode by blending with other lithium insertion hosts

The large irreversible capacity loss generally encountered with the high capacity layered oxide solid solutions between layered Li[Li1/3Mn2/3]O2 and LiMO2 (M = Mn, Ni, and Co) has been reduced by blending layered Li[Li0.2Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.13]O2, which is a solid solution between Li[Li1/3Mn2/3]O2 and Li[Mn1/3Ni1/3Co1/3]O2, with spinel Li4Mn5O12 or LiV3O8. The irreversible capacity loss decreases from 68 to 0 mAh g−1 as the Li4Mn5O12 content increases to 30 wt.% in the Li[Li0.2Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.13]O2–Li4Mn5O12 composite and the LiV3O8 content increases to 18 wt.% in the Li[Li0.2Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.13]O2–LiV3O8 composite. The decrease in irreversible capacity loss is due to the ability of Li4Mn5O12 or LiV3O8 to insert the extracted lithium that could not be inserted back into the layered Li[Li0.2Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.13]O2 during the first cycle. The Li[Li0.2Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.13]O2–LiV3O8 composite with ∼18 wt.% LiV3O8 exhibits a high capacity of ∼280 mAh g−1 with little or no irreversible capacity loss and good cyclability.