In situ XAFS analysis of Li(Mn, M)2O4 (M = Cr, Co, Ni) 5 V cathode materials for lithium-ion secondary batteries

Chemical states and structural changes accompanying the electrochemical Li deintercalation of Li1-x(Mn, M)(2)O-4 (M= Cr, Co, Ni) were studied by the in situ X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) technique. The X-ray absorption near-edge structures (XANES) of Mn and M as a function of x showed that the high voltage (similar to 5 V) in the cathode materials of an Li secondary battery is due to the oxidation of M3+ to M4+ (M = Cr, Co) and M2+ to M4+ (in the case of M= Ni), while the origin of the low voltage (3.9-4.3 V) can be ascribed to the oxidation of Mn3+ to Mn4+. The extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis of Li1-x(Mn, Ni)(2)O-4 revealed that Ni2+ is oxidized to Ni4+ via the Ni3+ state with a Jahn-Teller distorted Ni3+-O octahedron. (C) 2001 Academic Press.