Formulating long-cycle and high-rate lithium-rich manganese-based cathodes by surface-modification strategy coupling defect-engineering
image: The LiNbO3 coating layer functions as a robust physical barrier that effectively suppresses irreversible lattice oxygen release, thus simultaneously enhancing both the ICE and long-cycle stability; the engineered surface oxygen vacancies significantly promote lithium-ion transport kinetics, leading to remarkable rate capability enhancement.
Credit: Nano Research, Tsinghua University Press
As the environmental impacts of fossil fuels intensify, the development of energy storage technologies has become increasingly critical. Among various cathode materials, lithium-rich manganese-based (LRM) cathode materials have attracted widespread attention due to their high specific capacity (>250 mAh g-1) and high energy density. However, their commercialization is hindered by several formidable challenges in practical applications, including low initial coulombic efficiency (ICE), severe voltage decay, insufficient rate capability, and poor cycling stability.
A research team led by Professor Peng Shanglong from Lanzhou University has recently announced a new breakthrough in lithium-rich manganese-based cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries, injecting fresh impetus into this field of research. The study provides valuable insights and experimental support for the surface modification-coupled defect engineering strategy, which is designed to enhance the electrochemical performance of lithium-rich layered oxide cathode materials.
The team published their article in the journal Nano Research on January 21, 2026.
“In this article, we systematically present our research findings on the development of lithium-rich manganese-based cathode materials with long cycling life and high rate capability,” the team stated. “Through the rational design of surface modification and defect engineering, we can address the key scientific issues plaguing lithium-rich manganese-based cathode materials, laying a solid foundation for the construction of high-performance lithium-ion batteries.”
The research team elaborated on a surface modification strategy integrated with defect engineering, aiming to enhance the reversibility of anionic redox reactions and the kinetics of ion transport in lithium-rich layered oxides. Using diffusion coefficient analysis and density functional theory calculations, the team clarified the underlying mechanism behind the performance enhancement: the LiNbO3 coating acts as an effective protective layer to suppress the release of lattice oxygen, thereby improving both ICE and cycling stability simultaneously. Furthermore, oxygen vacancies in the LiNbO3 coating enhance lithium-ion diffusion kinetics, significantly boosting the rate capability of the material. This modified cathode material achieves unprecedented performance metrics, offering a promising blueprint for the design of next-generation high-energy cathodes.
DOI Link:
https://doi.org/10.26599/NR.2025.94908281
About Nano Research
Nano Research is a peer-reviewed, open access, international and interdisciplinary research journal, sponsored by Tsinghua University and the Chinese Chemical Society, published by Tsinghua University Press on the platform SciOpen. It publishes original high-quality research and significant review articles on all aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology, ranging from basic aspects of the science of nanoscale materials to practical applications of such materials. After 18 years of development, it has become one of the most influential academic journals in the nano field. Nano Research has published more than 1,000 papers every year from 2022, with its cumulative count surpassing 8,000 articles. In 2025 InCites Journal Citation Reports, its 2025 IF is 9.4 (8.3, 5 years), and it continues to be the Q1 area among the four subject classifications. Nano Research Award, established by Nano Research together with TUP and Springer Nature in 2013, and Nano Research Young Innovators (NR45) Awards, established by Nano Research in 2018, have become international academic awards with global influence.