Niobium Oxide Anode with Lattice Structure Self-Optimization for High-Power and Nearly Zero-Degeneration Battery Operation

Li⁺ insertion-induced structure transformation in crystalline electrodes vitally influence the energy density and cycle life of secondary lithium-ion battery. However, the influence mechanism of structure transformation-induced Li⁺ migration on the electrochemical performance of micro-crystal materials is still unclear and the strategy to profit from such structure transformation remains exploited. Here, an interesting self-optimization of structure evolution during electrochemical cycling in Nb₂O₅ micro-crystal with rich domain boundaries is demonstrated, which greatly improves the charge transfer property and mechanical strength. The lattice rearrangement activates the Li⁺ diffusion kinetics and hinders the particle crack, thus enabling a nearly zero-degeneration operation after 8000 cycles. Full cell paired with lithium cobalt oxides displays an exceptionally high capacity of 176 mA h g⁻¹ at 8000 mA g⁻¹ and excellent long-term durability at 6000 mA g⁻¹ with 63% capacity retention over 2000 cycles. Interestingly, a unique fingerprint based on the intensity ratio of two X-ray diffraction peaks is successfully extracted as a measure of Nb₂O₅ electrochemical performance. The structure self-optimization for fast charge transfer and high mechanical strength exemplifies a new battery electrode design concept and opens up a vast space of strategy to develop high-performance lithium-ion batteries with high energy density and ultra-long cycle life.