Orbital-Specific observation of O2p and Ni3d electrons in LiNi0.5Mn0.5O2, a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries

Cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries containing Ni2+ have attracted much interest because of their high theoretical capacity. However, the precise electronic structures of these cathode materials have not yet been clearly observed, especially the energy positions of the O2p and Ni3d orbitals and the shape of the density of states. The aim of this study was to investigate the relative energy positions and shape of the density of states of O2p and Ni3d for LiNi0.5Mn0.5O2 experimentally. We cleaved a LiNi0.5Mn0.5O2 pellet in an Ar-filled glove box and performed synchrotron ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy for different photon energies, which enabled us to investigate the relative cross-section intensity of O2p and Ni3d. As a result, the valence-band structure was determined. We found that O2p electrons are itinerant and exist in the vicinity of the Fermi energy more than Ni3d electrons. Ni3d electrons are more localized and spread mainly from 1.2–1.5 eV below the Fermi energy. To validate the electronic structure, we measured the synchrotron O K-edge X-ray absorption fine structure of electrochemically lithium-extracted LiNi0.5Mn0.5O2. The electronic structure demonstrated that ligand holes in the oxygen atoms form below the Fermi level during the initial stage of Li extraction and that the formation rate of the holes decreases with Li extraction.