Temperature-Dependent Mn Substitution Effect on LiNiO2

Abstract

Despite the important role of manganese (Mn) in cobalt-free, Ni-rich cathode materials, existing reports on the effects of Mn as a substitute for cobalt are not consistent. In this work, we analyzed the performance of cathodes comprised of Li(Ni Mnx)O (LNMO). Both beneficial and detrimental results occurred as a result of the Mn substitution. We found that a complex interplay of effects (Li/Ni mixing driven by magnetic frustration, grain growth suppression, and retarded lithium insertion/extraction kinetics) influenced the performance and was intimately related to calcination temperature. This indicates the importance of establishing an optimal reaction temperature for the development of high-performance LNMO.