Lithium Nickel Manganese Oxide Cathodes for EV Batteries
Lithium nickel manganese oxide (LNMO) cathodes have emerged as promising candidates for electric vehicle batteries, offering theoretical energy densities above 650 Wh/kg. However, current implementations face stability challenges - particularly in cycle life where capacity retention drops below 80% after 1000 cycles, and thermal stability concerns arise at temperatures exceeding 150°C during high-rate charging.
The fundamental challenge lies in balancing the high energy density benefits of nickel-rich compositions against the structural stability and safety advantages of manganese-dominant materials.
This page brings together solutions from recent research—including composite cathode architectures with controlled particle densities, surface-modified active materials, and multi-phase oxide systems that combine spinel and layered structures. These and other approaches focus on practical implementations that can deliver both the energy density and durability demanded by electric vehicle applications.
1. Lithium-Excessive Lithium Manganese Oxide with Core-Shell Structure and Barrier Layer
ECOPRO BM CO LTD, 2024
Positive electrode material for lithium-ion batteries with reduced transition metal elution compared to conventional lithium manganese oxides. The material is a lithium-excessive lithium manganese oxide with a unique composition and structure. It contains a solid solution or composite of phases with different crystal structures. The material is formed as core-shell particles with a concentration gradient of transition metals from the core to shell. The shell region has higher concentration of transition metals with lower elution probability compared to the core. This suppresses transition metal elution. Additionally, a barrier layer on the particle surface further reduces transition metal elution. This composition and structure prevents transition metal contamination of the electrolyte and cathode during cycling, improving battery lifespan and stability.
2. High-Nickel Ternary Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode with Controlled Ion Exchange and Anion Doping
SVOLT ENERGY TECH COMPANY LTD, SVOLT ENERGY TECHNOLOGY COMPANY LTD, 2024
High-nickel ternary lithium-ion battery cathode material with improved structural stability, cycling performance, and energy density at elevated temperatures. The material is made by a controlled ion exchange and anion doping process. The ion exchange involves dispersing the precursor in a cation exchange solution, filtering, and low-temperature heat treatment to form spinel/layered mixed phases. Anion doping fills holes and stabilizes the surface structure. This reduces cracking, side reactions, and SOC increase compared to high-temperature sintering.
3. Lithium Nickel Cathode Material with Porous Structure and Integrated Erythium Oxide and Metal Oxide Shell
SUNWODA POWER TECH CO LTD, SUNWODA POWER TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2023
Cathode material for lithium-ion batteries with improved high temperature stability and cycle life compared to conventional high energy density cathode materials. The cathode has lithium nickel compound particles with a porous structure and distributed erythium oxide particles within the pores. The porous structure reduces agglomeration, improves dispersion, and surface area. The erythium oxide particles enhance cycle stability and thermal stability due to their chemical resistance and buffering effect on stress. Adding metal oxides like aluminum trioxide and zinc oxide in the shell further improves cycle stability and energy density.
4. Composite Cathode Material with Ternary and Lithium Supplement Components for Electrode System in Lithium-Ion Batteries
ANHUI DEYI ENERGY TECH CO LTD, ANHUI DEYI ENERGY TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2023
Composite cathode material, electrode system, and lithium-ion battery to improve the cycle life and capacity of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. The composite cathode material contains a ternary material like NMC, lithium iron manganese phosphate (LMFP), and lithium manganate (LMO) along with a small amount of lithium supplement material. This helps mitigate cation mixing and improve cycle performance compared to just using NMC. The electrode system has the composite cathode on a positive electrode with a lithium-replenishing coating, and a negative electrode with graphite and silicon oxide. The lithium-replenishing coating helps compensate for lithium loss during cycling.
5. Lithium-Nickel Composite Oxide Positive Electrode Material with Specific Nickel and Lithium Molar Ratios
NINGBO RONBAY LITHIUM BATTERY MATERIAL CO LTD, NINGBO RONBAY LITHIUM BATTERY MATERIALS CO LTD, 2023
Positive electrode material, sheet, and battery for lithium-ion batteries with improved safety and cycle life. The positive electrode material is a lithium-nickel composite oxide with specific nickel and lithium mol ratios of (0.5-0.96):1. The material has controlled thermal decomposition temperatures during charging and discharging to prevent thermal runaway. The sheet and battery using this material have better cycle stability and reduced risk of thermal events compared to conventional lithium-nickel oxides.
6. Lithium-Rich Manganese-Based Cathode with Spinel Core and Layered Shell Structure
ZHUHAI COSMX BATTERY CO LTD, 2023
A lithium-rich manganese-based cathode material for lithium-ion batteries with improved performance and stability compared to conventional lithium-rich manganese cathodes. The new cathode material has a core-shell structure with a spinel phase lithium-nickel-manganese oxide core surrounded by a layered lithium-rich manganese oxide shell. This configuration stabilizes the crystal structure, prevents internal lithium ion polarization, and reduces gas generation during cycling compared to layered lithium-rich manganese cathodes. The core-shell structure also improves rate performance.
7. Overlithiated Lithium Transition Metal Oxide Cathode with Layered Structure and Metal Cation Doping
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., 2022
High-capacity lithium battery cathode material with improved stability and lifespan. The material is an overlithiated lithium transition metal oxide containing phases complexed together. It has a layered crystal structure with some lithium ions substituted into the transition metal layer. Doping the material with certain metal cations like Al, Mg, Ga, Ti, V, Zn, Cu, Cr, V, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, and In improves stability and reduces capacity fade. The dopant content is 0.1-10 mol%. The overlithiated lithium transition metal oxide can contain up to 20 mol% of the overlithiated phase to balance capacity and stability.
8. Lithium Nickel Manganate Cathode with Nano-Scale LiAlSiO4 Inorganic Solid Electrolyte Coating
Huai'an New Energy Material Technology Research Institute, HUAIAN NEW ENERGY MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE, 2021
Coating a lithium nickel manganate cathode material for lithium-ion batteries with a nano-scale inorganic solid electrolyte like LiAlSiO4 to improve its high voltage and high temperature performance. The coating amount is 0.2-1% of the lithium nickel manganate mass. The coated cathode material has better cycling stability and capacity retention compared to uncoated lithium nickel manganate at high voltages and temperatures.
9. Doped Lithium Nickel Manganese Oxide Cathode Material with Iron, Manganese, and Titanium Sulfides
Zhejiang Meidu Haichuang Lithium Battery Technology Co., Ltd., 2019
Doped lithium battery cathode material with improved cycling performance and energy density at high temperatures. The material is a composite of 92-96% ternary lithium nickel manganese oxide (NMC) and 4-8% of a dopant mixture containing iron sulfide, manganese sulfide, and titanium disulfide. This doped NMC cathode material shows lower electrode polarization and better cycling stability at elevated temperatures compared to plain NMC cathodes.
10. Coating Method for Lithium Nickel Manganese Oxide Cathode Using Polymer Solution Treatment
Hefei Gotion High-Tech Power Energy Co., Ltd., 2019
A coating method to improve the cycling stability of lithium-ion battery cathode material lithium nickel manganese oxide (LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4). The coating involves treating the LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 powder with an aqueous solution containing a polymer like polyacrylic acid (PAA) or polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) followed by drying. The coating prevents Jahn-Teller distortion, manganese ion disproportionation, and electrolyte dissolution during cycling, resulting in improved cycling stability.
11. Lithium Secondary Battery with Al-W Coated Lithium Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt Oxide Cathode
SAMSUNG SDI CO LTD, 2019
Lithium secondary battery with improved performance at low and high temperatures. The battery uses a cathode active material composed of a lithium nickel-manganese-cobalt composite oxide coated with a layer containing Al and W. The coating improves output and lifetime characteristics at ordinary, low, and high temperatures compared to uncoated cathode materials. The composite oxide has a specific formula with nickel, manganese, cobalt, lithium, and optional dopants.
12. Nickel-Rich Oxide Cathode Material with Al and Mg Dopants for Lithium Secondary Batteries
SAMSUNG SDI CO LTD, Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., 2019
Cathode active material for lithium secondary batteries with improved capacity and thermal stability compared to traditional cathode materials. The material is a nickel-rich oxide composition with specific dopant ratios. The composition is represented by the formula LiNixCoyMnzAlbMgcO2, where 0 < z < 0.025, 0.001 < b < 0.02, 0 < c < 0.02, b > c, x + y + z + b + c = 0.96 < a < 1.04. The dopants are Al and Mg, in addition to the usual Ni, Co, and Mn. This composition provides higher capacity and better thermal stability compared to similar oxides without the Al and Mg dopants.
13. Lithium Nickel Manganese Oxide Positive Electrode Material with Niobium-Doped Primary Particles
Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd., 2019
Positive electrode material for lithium-ion batteries with improved thermal stability and conductivity. The material is a lithium nickel manganese oxide with dissolved niobium in the primary particles. The niobium coating reduces conductivity while the dissolved niobium in the primary particles improves thermal stability. The niobium is added during a mixing step after crystallization of the nickel-manganese hydroxide particles. Firing converts the hydroxide to oxide. This allows controlling niobium distribution in the particles.
14. Lithium-Ion Battery with Stabilized Lithium Transition Metal Oxide Cathode
APPLE INC, 2019
High-voltage, high-energy density lithium-ion batteries with advanced cathode materials that improve cycling life, volumetric energy density, and rate capability compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries. The cathode active material is a stabilized lithium transition metal oxide with composition xLi2MO3 · (1-x) LiCOyM' (ly)02, where M is a transition metal like Co or Mn, and M' is a transition metal like Ni. The stabilization prevents capacity fade and degradation during cycling. The battery cells have anodes and cathodes with current collectors, with the stabilized lithium oxide cathode material providing the improved performance.
15. Lithium-Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt Oxide Positive Electrode Material with Specific True Density Range
ENVISION AESC JAPAN LTD, 2018
Positive electrode active substance for lithium-ion batteries that improves cycle life and reduces capacity fade in large-format batteries like those used in electric vehicles. The active substance is a lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide with a specific true density range of 4.40 to 4.80 g/cm3. This density range prevents excessive expansion and contraction of the active material during charging and discharging that can cause cracking and capacity loss in large format batteries. The density range can be achieved by adjusting the metal composition and impurity doping levels in the active material.
16. Lithium Battery System with High-Capacity Electrode Materials and Graphene-Coated Current Collectors
CHINA FAW GROUP CORP, China FAW Group Corporation, 2017
Lithium battery material system with optimized components for improved performance. The system includes a high-capacity positive electrode material (LiNi0.5-0.8Co0.2-0.5Mn0.1-0.3Al0.1-0.5) like LiNi0.8Co0.2Mn0.1Al0.1O2, a high-capacity negative electrode material like artificial graphite or hard carbon with ≥335 mAh/g specific discharge capacity, a thin separator like A12O3-modified polyolefin with thickness <30 µm, low-temperature electrolyte like LiPF6 organic solution, graphene-coated aluminum and thin copper current collectors, and a graphene-coated aluminum positive electrode sheet made by coating the slurry onto the fo
17. Lithium Ion Secondary Battery with LiNixCoyMnzO2 Positive Electrode and Graphite/Non-Graphitized Carbon Negative Electrode
NEC CORP, 2017
Lithium ion secondary battery with improved cycle life at high temperatures using a specific composition of lithium nickel composite oxide in the positive electrode. The composition is LiNixCoyMnzO2 with x = 0.75-0.85, y = 0.05-0.15, and z = 0.10-0.20. This provides better capacity retention over charge/discharge cycles compared to conventional lithium nickel oxide compositions. The battery also uses specific ratios of graphite and non-graphitized carbon in the negative electrode. The graphite:non-graphitized carbon mass ratio is 80:20 to 95:5, with 85:15 being most preferred.
18. Spinel Oxide Cathode Material with Transition Metal and Fluorine Substitution
Hitachi Chemical Company, Ltd., 2017
Cathode active material for high-voltage lithium-ion batteries that exhibits high potential and improved high-temperature life. The material is a spinel oxide with a composition of LiaNixMnyMzO4-5Fδ, where M is one or more elements like Ti, Ge, Mg, Co, Fe, Cu, and Al. The formula constraints a, x, y, z, and δ to specific ranges. This composition substitutes transition metals for manganese and fluorine into the spinel structure to stabilize high potential and suppress degradation. It improves the high-voltage stability and cycle life of lithium-ion batteries operating at voltages above 4.5 V.
19. Lithium Composite Oxide Positive Electrode with Enhanced Thermal Conductivity Additives
TDK CORP, 2016
A high cycle life lithium-ion battery positive electrode material that can withstand high charging voltages without degradation. The material is a lithium composite oxide with high thermal conductivity. It contains a specific lithium oxide formula and also adds compounds like AlN, BN, or Si3N4 to further boost thermal conductivity. This prevents excessive heat buildup during charging, improving cycle life compared to conventional high voltage cathodes.
20. Lithium Secondary Battery with Cathode Comprising Mixed Spinel Lithium Manganese Oxide and Lithium-Nickel-Cobalt-Manganese Oxide with Average Particle Size Over 15 Microns
LG CHEM LTD, 2015
Lithium secondary battery with improved cycle life and safety by using a cathode active material with a mixture of spinel lithium manganese oxide and lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese oxide, where at least one oxide has an average particle size over 15 microns. This larger particle size prevents manganese ion generation and electrolyte contamination during high current charging and discharging, improving cycle life and safety compared to smaller particle size cathode materials.
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