Site-Selective Analysis of Nickel-Substituted Li-Rich Layered Material: Migration and Role of Transition Metal at Charging and Discharging

Li-rich type manganese oxides are one of the most promising cathodes for lithium-ion batteries in recent years; thanks to their high energy density. In these cathodes, partial substitution of manganese by other transition metals such as nickel and cobalt has been proposed and shown to be effective in improving the performance; however, the role of such metals in the battery performance has not been clarified. We examined Ni-substituted Li2MnO3 as a model of Li2MeO3 solid-solution cathodes to understand the effect of the substituted Ni on the electrode performances by using a combination of resonant X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (RXDS) and operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The capacity and cyclability were improved by substituting Ni into the Li2MnO3 phase, which suggests its important roles in the cathodes. The change in the oxidation state and transbilayer migration of the transition metals as a function of the operating potential during the first charge–discharge processes were revealed by the site-selective analysis of RXDS. We discuss the influence of the irreversible and reversible migration of Ni and Mn ions on the electrode performance.