La-doped O3-type layered oxide cathode with enhanced cycle stability for sodium-ion batteries

Despite the considerable potential of O3-type layered oxide cathodes in sodium-ion batteries due to their high theoretical capacities, the rapid capacity degradation caused by high Na + diffusion barriers and irreversible phase transitions seriously hampers their practical application. Herein, we propose the La-doping strategy in O3-type layered oxide to decrease diffusion barriers and strengthen transition metal–oxygen (TM-O) bonds, thereby significantly improving the electrochemical performance. The strong La-O bonding facilitates highly reversible O3-P3 phase transitions during (de)sodiation and enhances the stability of lattice oxygen at high voltages. Specifically, the La-doped O3-type oxide exhibits impressive cycling stability, with the capacity retention increasing from 63 % to 80 % after 500 cycles at 1C. The full cell assembly with La-doped oxide as cathode and hard carbon as anode demonstrates a high energy density of 323.7 Wh kg −1 at 0.1C, with a capacity retention of 74.6 % after 300 cycles at 1C. This work provides new insights in La-doping to promote the commercial application of O3-type cathodes for sodium ion batteries.