Data from: 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-mechanical failure, even in
the presence of high-voltage phase transition. Our findings challenge the
prevailing belief that suppressing this phase transition and hierarchical
material design are necessary for stable Ni-rich cathodes.