DOE PAGES® Journal Article: High-voltage positive electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries The ever-growing demand for advanced rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in portable electronics and electric vehicles has spurred intensive research efforts over the past decade.
This review gives an account of the various emerging high-voltage positive electrode materials that have the potential to satisfy these requirements either in the short or long term, including nickel-rich layered oxides, lithium-rich layered oxides, high-voltage spinel oxides, and high-voltage polyanionic compounds.
A standard Li-ion battery has a cathode (conventionally the positive electrode), anode (conventionally the negative electrode), and a separator dipped in an electrolyte. During the charging cycle, Li ions deintercalate from the cathode and travel through the electrolyte to become intercalated in the anode.
Electrodes that have characteristics such as high charge capacity, high rate capability, and high voltage (considered for cathodes) can potentially improve the power and energy densities of Li-ion batteries. The objective of this review is to provide a simple yet comprehensive understanding of LiBs and their electrodes.
The lithium-ion battery generates a voltage of more than 3.5 V by a combination of a cathode material and carbonaceous anode material, in which the lithium ion reversibly inserts and extracts. Such electrochemical reaction proceeds at a potential of 4 V vs. Li/Li + electrode for cathode and ca. 0 V for anode.
The cathode materials of lithium batteries have a strong oxidative power in the charged state as expected from their electrode potential. Then, charged cathode materials may be able to cause the oxidation of solvent or self-decomposition with the oxygen evolution. Finally, these properties highly relate to the battery safety.