Observing the Ni ion migration in rechargeable battery using high energy X-ray scattering

LiNiO2 (LNO) and other isostructural high-Ni compounds are promising cathode materials for Li-ion batteries. Many works have been reported to reduce particle cracking and improve surface chemistry for better electrochemical performance. However, the understanding of local structural change, such as the Ni migration, is still lacking. Here, we propose an experiment to observe the Ni migration during cycling by pair distribution function (PDF) with high-energy X-ray, which will guide us to develop methods to improve the reversibility of Ni migration to achieve better structural stability. It could provide essential knowledge of the mainstream cathode research for Li-lion batteries.