Nb-doping and Li3NbO4 in situ coating: a composite strategy towards improving the electrochemical performance of Li-rich layered oxide materials
摘要
Lithium-rich manganese-based oxides (LMOs) are pivotal cathode candidates for next-generation lithium-ion batteries, owing to their ultrahigh capacity (> 250 mAh·g−1) enabled by anionic redox activity. However, their practical deployment is impeded by structural degradation from oxygen loss, voltage decay, and sluggish Li+ kinetics. Herein, we propose a synergistic dual-modification strategy that integrates Nb5+ bulk doping via heterogeneous nucleation with in-situ Li3NbO4 surface coating to comprehensively address these challenges. The Nb5+ doping expands Li+ diffusion channels while suppressing transition metal migration and oxygen evolution through strengthened metal–oxygen bonds. Concurrently, the Li3NbO4 coating, acting as a fast ion conductor, stabilizes the cathode-electrolyte interface by mitigating parasitic reactions and accelerating interfacial Li+ transport. The optimized LNO@LMNO-NO cathode achieves a remarkable initial discharge capacity of 327.76 mAh·g−1 at 0.1 C and retains 95.98% capacity after 200 cycles at 1 C, demonstrating enhanced lithium-ion diffusion kinetics. This performance outperforms most reported LMOs, which can be attributed to the synergistic interplay between structural and interfacial engineering.