Disordered rock salt

Example

Use in Lemonergy

Separate chemistry from form factor.

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Cathode active material

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.

Cobalt

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.

Layered oxide

The crystal structure of LCO, NMC and NCA: close-packed oxygen layers with lithium and transition-metal ions in alternate layers of octahedral sites, so lithium moves in two-dimensional sheets. The structure offers high capacity and voltage but can distort or mix cations when deeply delithiated. Sodium versions are labelled O3 or P2 by their stacking.

Lithium-rich manganese cathode

A layered oxide carrying extra lithium in the transition-metal layer, typically Li₁.₂Ni₀.₁₃Co₀.₁₃Mn₀.₅₄O₂. Above about 4.5 V on the first charge, oxygen joins the redox, giving more than 250 mAh/g with little nickel or cobalt. Voltage fade, oxygen loss and a large first-cycle loss slowed adoption; GM and LG Energy Solution plan LMR cells for 2028.

Voltage hysteresis

The difference between the open-circuit voltage reached from charging and from discharging at the same state of charge. It is small for most lithium-ion chemistries but large for LFP and silicon, and it limits how precisely voltage can give SOC.

References & further reading

Further reading on this topic

These sources provide broader context; they are not presented as citations for every statement in this entry.

1. A reflection on lithium-ion battery cathode chemistry

   Arumugam Manthiram · Nature Communications · 2020

   Topic background · Layered oxides, spinels and polyanion cathodes; links between composition, structure and performance.