Coupling Particle Size and Composition to Enable Synergistic Enhancement in Ni-Rich LiNixCoyMnx(1--y)O2 Cathodes
Journal
John Wiley and Sons Inc
Journal Volume
9
Journal Issue
6
Start Page
e70325
ISSN
25666223
Date Issued
2026-06
Author(s)
Liu, Guan-Yi
Parthasarathi, Senthil-Kumar
Liao, Cheng-Hung
Chen, Hsi
Yin, Gung-Chian
Song, Yen-Fang
Hsieh, Wan-Zhen
Chiang, Ching-Yu
Wu, Guo-Lin
Huang, Shun-Ming
Weng, Yu-Ting
Abstract
Ni-rich layered Li(Ni, Co, Mn)O2 (NCM) oxides are important cathode materials for high-energy large-format Li-ion batteries (LIBs). The urge for higher energy densities at a lower cost has continuously driven the use of NCM with higher Ni contents exceeding 80%. This work presents a coupling strategy of Ni-rich layered oxide cathodes, consisting of large NCM (LNCM; LiNi0.83Co0.12Mn0.05O2, d50 = 9.4 µm) particles having a relatively lower Ni but a higher Co content than the small NCM (SNCM, LiNi0.88Co0.06Mn0.05Al0.01O2, d50 = 3.5 µm), to balance the intrinsic trade-offs in lithium-ion battery performance. The LNCM particles enhance structural stability and lithium-ion diffusion, while SNCM particles provide high specific capacity and mitigate cracking issues associated with large particles. By strategically coupling particle size with transition-metal composition, this approach achieves more than conventional packing-density optimization. Optimized large-to-small ratios (70/30 and 50/50) deliver up to 38% higher volumetric capacity, >20% enhancement in capacity retention after 200 cycles, and a 32.7% improvement in fast-charging capability. Importantly, using the coupling strategies can significantly suppress both surface side reactions and mechanical degradation, offering a mechanistic pathway to simultaneously improve energy density, rate performance, and cycling stability.
Subjects
bimodal particle size
cation composition coupling
cycle stability
Ni-rich LiNixCoyMn(1-x-y)O2(NCM) cathode
volumetric energy density
Publisher
John Wiley and Sons Inc
Type
journal article