Challenges of Cobalt-Free Single Crystalline Cathodes in Batteries
Author Information
Author(s): Yu Lei, Dai Alvin, Zhou Tao, Huang Weiyuan, Wang Jing, Li Tianyi, He Xinyou, Ma Lu, Xiao Xianghui, Ge Mingyuan, Amine Rachid, Ehrlich Steven N., Ou Xing, Wen Jianguo, Liu Tongchao, Amine Khalil
Primary Institution: Argonne National Laboratory
Hypothesis
What are the structural and electrochemical impacts of removing cobalt from single crystalline cathodes?
Conclusion
Removing cobalt from single crystalline cathodes leads to structural degradation and poor electrochemical performance.
Supporting Evidence
- Removing cobalt from single crystalline cathodes leads to unusual voltage fade behavior.
- Li-rich nanodomains were identified as a critical factor in structural degradation.
- The study highlights the challenges of developing cobalt-free single crystalline cathodes compared to polycrystalline ones.
- Significant chemo-mechanical lattice strain was observed in the absence of cobalt.
Takeaway
This study found that taking cobalt out of certain battery materials makes them work worse because they get damaged inside.
Methodology
The study used multiscale diffraction and imaging techniques to analyze the structural and electrochemical properties of cobalt-free single crystalline cathodes.
Limitations
The study primarily focuses on a specific type of cathode and may not generalize to all cobalt-free materials.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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