4d Lithium-Rich Cathode System Reinvestigated with Electron Paramagnetic Resonance: Correlation between Ionicity, Oxygen Dimers, and Molecular O2

  • Xiang Wu
  • , Hui Liu
  • , Xiaobing Lou
  • , Fushan Geng
  • , Jingxin Li
  • , Chao Li
  • , Bingwen Hu*
  • *Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

Layered lithium-rich (Li-rich) oxide cathodes with additional capacity contribution via oxygen redox are promising high energy density cathodes for next generation Li-ion batteries. However, the chemical states of the oxidized oxygen in charged materials are under fierce debate, including the O2- with stable electron holes, O-O dimer (O2)n− (n > 0), molecular O2, and oxygen π redox. Here, we show using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy that in the 4d Li-rich ruthenate compounds, Li2Ru0.75Sn0.25O3 and Li2Ru0.5Sn0.5O3, strong covalency between 4d transition metal and oxygen can inhibit the formation of trapped molecular O2 but not suppress the formation of O-O dimer. As the covalent bond of Ru-O weakens and the ionic bond Sn-O becomes dominant in Li2Ru0.25Sn0.75O3, (O2) will detach from Sn4+, eventually leading to the formation of trapped molecular O2 during the deep oxygen redox. We propose two possible evolution paths of oxidized oxygen as (1) oxygen electron holes → Ru-(O2)m− (m > 1) → Ru-(O2) or (2) oxygen electron holes → Sn-(O2)m− (m > 1) → Sn-(O2) → O2, and the species to which they will evolve are related to which metal (O2) bonds to and whether the ionicity dominates.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)7711-7717
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Physical Chemistry Letters
Volume14
Issue number34
DOIs
StatePublished - 31 Aug 2023
Externally publishedYes

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