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Topologically protected oxygen redox in a layered manganese oxide cathode for sustainable batteries

Nature Sustainability volume 5, pages 214–224 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

Manganese could be the element of choice for cathode materials used in large-scale energy storage systems owing to its abundance and low toxicity levels. However, both lithium- and sodium-ion batteries adopting this electrode chemistry suffer from rapid performance fading, suggesting a major technical barrier that must be overcome. Here we report a P3-type layered manganese oxide cathode Na0.6Li0.2Mn0.8O2 (NLMO) that delivers a high capacity of 240 mAh g−1 with outstanding cycling stability in a lithium half-cell. Combined experimental and theoretical characterizations reveal a characteristic topological feature that enables the good electrochemical performance. Specifically, the -α-γ- layer stack provides topological protection for lattice oxygen redox, whereas reversibility is absent in P2-structured NLMO, which takes an -α-β- configuration. The identified new order parameter opens an avenue towards the rational design of reversible Mn-rich cathode materials for sustainable batteries.

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Fig. 1: Ribbon­-ordered structure and electrochemistry of P2- and P3-Na0.6Li0.2Mn0.8O2 cathode materials.
Fig. 2: ODT structures and Na configurations in pristine P2- and P3-NLMO.
Fig. 3: Evolution of the ODT structures in P2- and P3-NaxLi0.2Mn0.8O2 cathodes on cycling.
Fig. 4: Topological protection mechanism during Na-ion deintercalation.
Fig. 5: Topological order.

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The data that support the findings detailed in this study are available in the article and its Supplementary Information or from the corresponding authors on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Beijing Natural Science Foundation (Z190010), National Key R&D Program of China (no. 2019YFA0308500), the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (grant no. XDB07030200, XDA21070500), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant nos. 51672307, 51991344, 52025025, 52072400, 52002394, 51725206, 11805034, 21704105 and U1930102), Beijing Natural Science Fund-Haidian Original Innovation Joint Fund (L182056), the Basic Science Centre Program of NSFC (grant no. 51788104) and the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (2017A030313021).

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Ang Gao, Qinghua Zhang.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Ang Gao, Qinghua Zhang, Xinyan Li, Tongtong Shang, Zhexin Tang, Yanhong Luo, Xuefeng Wang, Dongdong Xiao, Dong Su, Hong Li, Xiaohui Rong, Xiqian Yu, Liquan Chen, Yong-Sheng Hu & Lin Gu

  2. School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Ang Gao, Tongtong Shang, Zhexin Tang & Lin Gu

  3. Yangtze River Delta Physics Research Center Co. Ltd, Liyang, China

    Qinghua Zhang & Yong-Sheng Hu

  4. College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Xinyan Li & Yong-Sheng Hu

  5. School of Materials, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China

    Xia Lu

  6. School of Physics and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China

    Jiarun Ding

  7. Spallation Neutron Source Science Center, Dalang, Dongguan, PR China

    Wang Hay Kan, Huaican Chen & Wen Yin

  8. Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China

    Wang Hay Kan, Huaican Chen & Wen Yin

  9. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

    Qian Yu

  10. State Key of Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

    Fanqi Meng & Cewen Nan

  11. Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux INP, ICMCB UMR 5026, CNRS, Pessac, France

    Claude Delmas

  12. Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, Dongguan, China

    Lin Gu

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  1. Ang Gao
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Contributions

L.G., Y.-S.H. and X.R. designed and supervised the project. X.R. synthesized, characterized (X-ray diffraction, XAS, Raman) and electrochemically tested the samples and analysed the data with X.Y., H.L., C.D., Y.-S.H., C.N. and L.C. Q.Z., X. Li and F.M. performed the STEM measurements and analysed data with A.G., T.S., Z.T., X.W., D.X. and D.S. W.H.K., H.C. and W.Y. performed neutron diffraction measurements and analysed data. A.G. designed and performed DFT calculations and analysed the data with X. Lu and L.G. A.G., X.R., Q.Z, Y.L., Q.Y., J.D., Y.-S.H. and L.G. wrote the manuscript with the help of the other authors. The manuscript reflects the contributions of all authors.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Xiaohui Rong, Yong-Sheng Hu or Lin Gu.

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Supplementary information

Supplementary Information

Supplementary Figs. 1–33, Tables 1–3, Notes 1–3 and references.

Supplementary Data 1

Crystallographic data for P2- and P3-Na0.6Li0.2Mn0.8O2.

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Gao, A., Zhang, Q., Li, X. et al. Topologically protected oxygen redox in a layered manganese oxide cathode for sustainable batteries. Nat Sustain 5, 214–224 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-021-00809-0

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