Electronic density distortion due to intercalation by Li.

High resolution measurements of Compton profiles of LixNiO2 have been carried out using 60 keV photons at ESRF (Grenoble, France). Theoretical profiles are obtained using the plane wave expansion of wave functions calculated using ab-initio SCF method. Theory and experiment are in good agreement. We have further decomposed the charge density modification into a rigid charge transfer from lithium to eg* states of NiO2 and the distorsion of NiO2 charge density mainly due to Ni–O bond changes resulting from lattice parameter change and Jahn-Teller effect

Coulombic self-ordering upon charging a large-capacity layered cathode material for rechargeable batteries

Lithium- and sodium-rich layered transition-metal oxides have recently been attracting significant interest because of their large capacity achieved by additional oxygen-redox reactions. However, layered transition-metal oxides exhibit structural degradation such as cation migration, layer exfoliation or cracks upon deep charge, which is a major obstacle to achieve higher energy-density batteries. Here we demonstrate a self-repairing phenomenon of stacking faults upon desodiation from an oxygen-redox layered oxide Na2RuO3, realizing much better reversibility of the electrode reaction. The phase transformations upon charging A2MO3 (A: alkali metal) can be dominated by three-dimensional Coulombic attractive interactions driven by the existence of ordered alkali-metal vacancies, leading to counterintuitive self-repairing of stacking faults and progressive ordering upon charging. The cooperatively ordered vacancy in lithium-/sodium-rich layered transition-metal oxides is shown to play an essential role, not only in generating the electro-active nonbonding 2p orbital of neighbouring oxygen but also in stabilizing the phase transformation for highly reversible oxygen-redox reactions