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Thermal stability as well as electrochemical performance of Li-rich and Ni-rich cathode materials—a comparative study

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Abstract

Lithium-rich cathode materials have emerged as promising materials for high-energy density lithium-ion cells due to their high specific capacity and high working voltage. In the present work, a comparative study has been made on the thermal stability and electrochemical performance of the lithium-rich cathode material, Li1.5Ni0.25Mn0.75O2.5 (LNMO, synthesized by a co-precipitation method) with commercially available nickel-rich cathode material, LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (NMC 811). Thermal runaway is a major safety concern hindering the large-scale application of lithium-ion cells in the booming electric vehicle market, and thus the thermal stability of electrode materials has become an important criteria for practical applications. The thermal stability of the cathode materials is investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The LNMO cathode material showed better thermal stability in delithiated state than the NMC 811 cathode. A comparative study on the electrochemical performance of both LNMO and NMC 811 cathodes at a working voltage window of 2–4.8 V showed a higher initial discharge capacity (263 mAhg−1) for NMC 811 electrode than LNMO electrode (234 mAhg−1). However, the cycling and rate performance studies indicate excellent performance for LNMO cathode than NMC 811 at the higher working voltage.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram for granting permission to publish this paper. Analytical Division, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre is acknowledged for analytical support.

Funding

Akhilash M acknowledges the University of Kerala for granting Junior Research Fellowship (University of Kerala Registration No. AcEVI(2)/718/CHE/18145/2018).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Energy Systems Development Division, PCM Entity, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, 695022, India

    M. Akhilash, P. S. Salini, Bibin John & S. Sujatha

  2. University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, 695034, India

    M. Akhilash

  3. Analytical and Spectroscopy Division, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, 695022, India

    N. Supriya

  4. Energy Systems Group, PCM Entity, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, 695022, India

    T. D. Mercy

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Akhilash, M., Salini, P.S., John, B. et al. Thermal stability as well as electrochemical performance of Li-rich and Ni-rich cathode materials—a comparative study. Ionics 29, 983–992 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11581-022-04873-0

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