Uniform pore structure enables negligible degradation in undoped and uncoated Ni-rich cathodes

Ni-rich layered oxide cathodes for lithium-ion batteries exhibit chemo-mechanical failures, with the consensus attributing this to high-voltage phase transitions. Existing mitigation strategies rely on compositional modifications (e.g., doping), nanostructuring (e.g., coatings and primary particle engineering), and microstructure modifications, but these approaches increase synthesis complexity. Here, we demonstrate a simple synthesis strategy that enables exceptionally stable Ni-rich cathodes without doping, coating, or concentration gradients. We show that chemo-mechanical failure is closely linked to microstructural non-uniformity (specifically, nanoscale pores), stemming from limited contact between solid-state reactants during calcination. By increasing the LiOH melting rate, we enhance liquid-solid interfacial contact between precursors, resulting in uniformly evolved microstructures. This uniformity leads to excellent cycle life by dissipating strain energy and mitigating chemo-m..., , # Data from: Uniform pore structure enables negligible degradation in undoped and uncoated Ni-rich cathodes

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.mpg4f4rf3](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.mpg4f4rf3)

## Description of the data and file structure

* Echem.xlsx contains the raw electrochemical data used to generate Figs. 5a, 5b, and 5e of the paper, “Uniform pore structure enables negligible degradation in undoped and uncoated Ni-rich cathodes.” This file includes voltage profiles, differential capacity (dQ/dV) evolution over 100 cycles, and full-cell electrochemical performance for samples synthesized at heating rates of 2, 5, and 10 °C/min.

- TGA.xlsx contains the raw thermogravimetric analysis data for Figs. 1a and 2b. These data include TGA measurements of LiOH-H~2~O, (Ni~0.9~Mn~0.1~)(OH)~2~, and their physical mixture, as well as the evolution of TGA behavior as a function of heating rate.

* XRD.xlsx contains the raw X-ray diffraction data for Figs. 1b, 1c, and 5c. This file includes in situ...,