La-incorporated NMC811 as a new Li-ion battery cathode material

Abstract

The application of high energy density LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (NMC811) is often limited by its discharge capacity retention due to its rich nickel content. Some improvements such as doping and coating by rare earth materials have been used to increase the electrochemical stability. In this work, Lanthanum was used to modify NMC811 via a simple solvent evaporation method. The XRD results showed the presence of an additional phase in the form of La2Li0.5Ni0.5O4, though that there was no change in the lattice parameters. SEM-EDS results with La mapping showed that La was evenly distributed formatting a layer of La2Li0.5Ni0.5O4 on the surface of the NMC811 particles, without any La atoms entering the layered oxide structure. The formation of new layer on the surface will improve stability and electrochemical performance of NMC811.