{
  "node": {
    "id": "term:lco",
    "type": "Term",
    "label": "LCO",
    "properties": {
      "id": "lco",
      "name": "LCO",
      "aka": [
        "lithium cobalt oxide",
        "LiCoO₂"
      ],
      "section": "topic-chemistries",
      "definition": "The original lithium-ion positive material, LiCoO₂, still used in phones and laptops for its high volumetric energy density. Cobalt cost and limited thermal stability keep it out of vehicles.",
      "related": [
        "cobalt",
        "nmc",
        "cathode-active-material",
        "consumer-electronics"
      ],
      "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/lco/",
      "mentions": [
        "energy-density"
      ]
    }
  },
  "edges": [
    {
      "id": "edge:702",
      "source": "term:lco",
      "target": "topic:topic-chemistries",
      "type": "belongsTo",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:703",
      "source": "term:lco",
      "target": "term:cobalt",
      "type": "relatedTo",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:704",
      "source": "term:lco",
      "target": "term:nmc",
      "type": "relatedTo",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:705",
      "source": "term:lco",
      "target": "term:cathode-active-material",
      "type": "relatedTo",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:706",
      "source": "term:lco",
      "target": "term:consumer-electronics",
      "type": "relatedTo",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:mentions/lco/energy-density",
      "source": "term:lco",
      "target": "term:energy-density",
      "type": "mentions",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "method": "build_glossary.mention_index + mentions",
        "field": "definition",
        "meaning": "Text mention; not a causal claim"
      }
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      "id": "edge:708",
      "source": "term:lco",
      "target": "reference:manthiram-cathodes",
      "type": "cites",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "wiki-references.json",
        "scope": "direct technical reference"
      }
    }
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    {
      "id": "topic:topic-chemistries",
      "type": "Topic",
      "label": "Lithium-ion chemistries and cell formats",
      "properties": {
        "id": "topic-chemistries",
        "name": "Lithium-ion chemistries and cell formats",
        "lede": "The electrode materials that define a lithium-ion cell, the crystal structures behind them, and the shapes cells are built in.",
        "context": "Separate chemistry from form factor.",
        "example": "Two cylindrical cells can share dimensions yet differ in cathode, capacity and current limits.",
        "lesson_url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/fundamentals/cell-architecture/",
        "lesson_label": "Open cell architecture"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:cobalt",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Cobalt",
      "properties": {
        "id": "cobalt",
        "name": "Cobalt",
        "section": "topic-sustainability",
        "definition": "The metal that stabilises layered-oxide cathodes, mined largely in the Democratic Republic of Congo under scrutiny for working conditions. Its price and ethics have driven the industry from LCO and NMC111 towards high-nickel and cobalt-free LFP.",
        "related": [
          "nmc",
          "lco",
          "high-nickel",
          "critical-raw-materials",
          "due-diligence"
        ],
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/cobalt/",
        "mentions": []
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:nmc",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "NMC",
      "properties": {
        "id": "nmc",
        "name": "NMC",
        "aka": [
          "NCM",
          "nickel manganese cobalt oxide",
          "LiNiMnCoO₂"
        ],
        "section": "topic-chemistries",
        "definition": "A family of layered-oxide positive electrode materials, LiNiₓMnᵧCo₁₋ₓ₋ᵧO₂, used in many electric-vehicle cells. Variants are named by their metal ratio: NMC811 has eight parts nickel to one each of manganese and cobalt.",
        "related": [
          "cathode-active-material",
          "high-nickel",
          "nca",
          "lfp",
          "cobalt"
        ],
        "lesson": "fundamentals/cell-anatomy/#components",
        "example": {
          "title": "Read the composition label",
          "text": "NMC811 denotes nominal nickel:manganese:cobalt proportions of 8:1:1 in the transition-metal component, not 80% nickel by whole-cell mass."
        },
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/nmc/",
        "mentions": [
          "electrode",
          "positive-electrode",
          "manganese"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:cathode-active-material",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Cathode active material",
      "properties": {
        "id": "cathode-active-material",
        "name": "Cathode active material",
        "abbr": "CAM",
        "section": "topic-components",
        "definition": "The lithium-containing compound in the positive electrode — NMC, NCA, LFP or LCO powder — that supplies the cell’s cyclable lithium. It is the most expensive material in most cells and sets the nominal voltage and much of the energy density.",
        "related": [
          "active-material",
          "nmc",
          "lfp",
          "precursor",
          "specific-capacity"
        ],
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/cathode-active-material/",
        "mentions": [
          "electrode",
          "positive-electrode",
          "nominal-voltage",
          "energy-density"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:consumer-electronics",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Consumer electronics",
      "properties": {
        "id": "consumer-electronics",
        "name": "Consumer electronics",
        "section": "topic-applications",
        "definition": "Phones, laptops, wearables and tools: the first mass market for lithium-ion and still the one that pays for the highest energy density. It favours pouch cells with LCO or high-nickel positives and silicon-blended negatives.",
        "related": [
          "lco",
          "pouch-cell",
          "fuel-gauge",
          "smbus",
          "iec-62133"
        ],
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/consumer-electronics/",
        "mentions": [
          "energy-density"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:energy-density",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Energy density",
      "properties": {
        "id": "energy-density",
        "name": "Energy density",
        "aka": [
          "volumetric energy density"
        ],
        "section": "topic-ratings",
        "definition": "Stored energy per unit volume, in watt-hours per litre. It is the figure that matters when space is the constraint, as in a phone or under a car floor; high-energy cylindrical cells pass 700 Wh/L.",
        "unit": "Wh/L",
        "related": [
          "specific-energy",
          "nominal-energy",
          "ragone-plot",
          "areal-loading"
        ],
        "lesson": "fundamentals/capacity-and-c-rate/#energy",
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/energy-density/",
        "mentions": []
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "reference:manthiram-cathodes",
      "type": "Reference",
      "label": "A reflection on lithium-ion battery cathode chemistry",
      "properties": {
        "title": "A reflection on lithium-ion battery cathode chemistry",
        "publisher": "Nature Communications",
        "url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15355-0",
        "type": "Review article",
        "scope": "Layered oxides, spinels and polyanion cathodes; links between composition, structure and performance.",
        "year": 2020,
        "authors": [
          "Arumugam Manthiram"
        ],
        "accessed": "2026-10-27"
      }
    }
  ]
}