Lattice Reconstruction Engineering Boosts the Extreme Fast Charging/Discharging Performance of Nickel-Rich Layered Cathodes

Abstract

The low specific capacity and the poor capacity retention at extreme fast charging/discharging limit the nickel-rich layered cathode commercialization in electric vehicles, and the root causes are interface instability and capacity loss induced by birth defects and irreversible phase transition. In this work, we propose a lattice reconstruction strategy combining polyvinylpyrrolidone-assisted wet chemistry and calcination to prepare the aluminum-modified LiNi_0.83Co_0.11Mn_0.06O₂ (ANCM). Our method offers distinct advantages in tailoring birth defects (residual alkali and rocksalt phase), reducing Li vacancies and oxygen vacancies, exhibiting gradient Ni concentration distribution, suppressing the Li/Ni intermixing defects, lowering the lattice strain before and after recycling, and inhibiting the microcracks. The ANCM constructs robust crystal lattices and delivers an initial discharge capacity of 155.3 mAh/g with 89.2% capacity retention after 200 cycles at 5 C. This work highlights the importance of synthesis design and structural modification for cathode materials.