Synthesis of high-performance single-crystal Li-rich cathode by self-combustion method

Li-rich manganese-based oxide has been identified as the most promising cathode material for next-generation Li-ion batteries, due to its high capacity, high operating voltage, safety, and low cost. Nevertheless, its wide application is restricted by low initial Columbic efficiency, undesirable cycle stability, and poor rate performances. To tackle these issues, single-crystal Li 1.2 Mn 0.54 Co 0.13 Ni 0.13 O 2 is synthesized by a self-combustion method. Compared with the poly-crystal Li-rich cathode, the specific discharge capacity of the single-crystal sample increased from 252.0 to 304.6 mAh·g −1 at 0.1C, and the initial Columbic efficiency also increased from 72.1% to 89.2%. After 200 cycles at 1.0C, the capacity retention rate of the single-crystal sample remained 86.3%, with the corresponding voltage decay of 210 mV, while those of the poly-crystal one were 68.6% and 380 mV, respectively. The present work proposes an accessible strategy of designing single-crystal morphology of Li-rich cathode to release the capacity potential and alleviate the problem of poor rate performance and limited long-term cycle capability. Graphical abstract