An Overview on the Advances of LiCoO2Cathodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

LiCoO2, discovered as a lithium-ion intercalation material in 1980 by Prof. John B. Goodenough, is still the dominant cathode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in the portable electronics market due to its high compacted density, high energy density, excellent cycle life and reliability. In order to satisfy the increasing energy demand of portable electronics such as smartphones and laptops, the upper cutoff voltage of LiCoO2-based batteries has been continuously raised for achieving higher energy density. However, several detrimental issues including surface degradation, damages induced by destructive phase transitions, and inhomogeneous reactions could emerge as charging to a high voltage (>4.2 V vs Li/Li+), which leads to the rapid decay of capacity, efficiency, and cycle life. In this review, the history and recent advances of LiCoO(2)are introduced, and a significant section is dedicated to the fundamental failure mechanisms of LiCoO(2)at high voltages (>4.2 V vs Li/Li+). Meanwhile, the modification strategies and the development of LiCoO2-based LIBs in industry are also discussed.

Automated summary

LiCoO2, discovered in 1980 by Prof. John B. Goodenough, remains the dominant cathode material for lithium-ion batteries due to its high energy density and cycle life. However, at high voltages, issues such as surface degradation may arise, impacting capacity, efficiency, and cycle life.