Tailoring Anisotropic Li-Ion Transport Tunnels on Orthogonally Arranged Li-Rich Layered Oxide Nanoplates Toward High-Performance Li-Ion Batteries

High-performance Li-rich layered oxide (LRLO) cathode material is appealing for next-generation Li-ion batteries owing to its high specific capacity (>300 mAh g–1). Despite intense studies in the past decade, the low initial Coulombic efficiency and unsatisfactory cycling stability of LRLO still remain as great challenges for its practical applications. Here, we report a rational design of the orthogonally arranged {010}-oriented LRLO nanoplates with built-in anisotropic Li+ ion transport tunnels. Such a novel structure enables fast Li+ ion intercalation and deintercalation kinetics and enhances structural stability of LRLO. Theoretical calculations and experimental characterizations demonstrate the successful synthesis of target cathode material that delivers an initial discharge capacity as high as 303 mAh g–1 with an initial Coulombic efficiency of 93%. After 200 cycles at 1.0 C rate, an excellent capacity retention of 92% can be attained. Our method reported here opens a door to the development of high-performance Ni—Co—Mn-based cathode materials for high-energy density Li-ion batteries.