Promoting Surface Electric Conductivity for High‐Rate LiCoO<sub>2</sub>
Shenyang Xu, Xinghua Tan, Wangyang Ding, Wenju Ren, Qi Zhao, Weiyuan Huang, Jiajie Liu, Rui Qi, Yongxin Zhang, Jiachao Yang, Changjian Zuo, Haocheng Ji, Hengyu Ren, Bo Cao, Haoyu Xue, Zhihai Gao, Haocong Yi, Wenguang Zhao, Yinguo Xiao, Qinghe Zhao, Ming‐Jian Zhang, Feng Pan
Abstract
Abstract The cathode materials work as the host framework for both Li + diffusion and electron transport in Li‐ion batteries. The Li + diffusion property is always the research focus, while the electron transport property is less studied. Herein, we propose a unique strategy to elevate the rate performance through promoting the surface electric conductivity. Specifically, a disordered rock‐salt phase was coherently constructed at the surface of LiCoO 2 , promoting the surface electric conductivity by over one magnitude. It increased the effective voltage ( V eff ) imposed in the bulk, thus driving more Li + extraction/insertion and making LiCoO 2 exhibit superior rate capability (154 mAh g −1 at 10 C), and excellent cycling performance (93 % after 1000 cycles at 10 C). The universality of this strategy was confirmed by another surface design and a simulation. Our findings provide a new angle for developing high‐rate cathode materials by tuning the surface electron transport property.