NMC materials, such as LiNi0.4Mn0.4Co0.2O2, represent a widely investigated Li-ion battery cathode family due to their high capacity, high operating voltage and slow reaction with electrolytes. The effect of partial substitution of vanadium in NMC cathode materials has been investigated in this study. The materials were prepared by a co-precipitation method and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy as well as synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy. We observed higher capacity, better cycling stability and improved first-cycle coulombic efficiency in the vanadium-substituted NMC materials relative to the vanadium-free NMC materials. Furthermore, the present study utilized synchrotron X-ray spectroscopy to track the chemical and structural evolution in the NMC materials during the charging and discharging processes. It is found that the enhanced battery performance is largely attributed to the electronic and structural reversibility of the NMC materials due to the presence of vanadium. The present study offers a potential pathway to apply NMC materials under high-voltage cycling conditions.

Vanadium substitution in layered nickel manganese cobalt oxide cathode materials for enhanced cycling performance

248th National Meeting (2014)

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