A highly promising high-nickel low-cobalt lithium layered oxide cathode material for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Abstract Reducing cobalt dependency has attracted great interest for lithium batteries manufacturing due to limited cobalt resources and high prices. A highly promising LiNi0.6Co0.05Mn0.35O2 (NCM60535) high-nickel low cobalt lithium layered oxide cathode material is successfully prepared by systematically examining the two key synthesis conditions of pH and annealing temperature. The obtained materials exhibit a uniform size distribution, good spherical morphology, clear structure, and homogeneous element distribution. NCM60535 shows competitive electrochemical properties: when compared with the LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2, with a higher output specific capacity and cycling stability at 4.3 V low voltage; when compared with the LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2, with a comparable discharge capacity but relatively poor cycling stability at 4.5 V high voltage. A new type of electrolyte that combines high lithium salt concentration, EC-free solvent system, and VC and LiPO2F2 functional additives is designed and greatly improves the electrochemical properties of the material under high voltage. Moreover, it also delivers superior electrochemical properties in high voltage lithium full battery (270 Wh Kg−1). And we suggest that NCM60535 is expected to become a substitute for the currently widely commercialized LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 (NCM333), LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 (NCM523), LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 (NCM622), and LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811) due to its relatively low production cost and competitive electrochemical properties.