Direct Evidence of Metal-Ligand Redox in Li-ion Battery Cathodes (2505.01251v2)

Abstract: Describing Li-ion battery cathodes in terms of distinct transition metal or oxygen redox regimes can lead to confusion in understanding metal-ligand hybridisation, oxygen dimerisation, and degradation. There is a pressing need to study the electronic structure of these materials and determine the role each cation and anion plays in charge compensation. Here, we employ transition metal Ledge X-ray Resonance Photoemission Spectroscopy in conjunction with Single Impurity Anderson simulations to directly evaluate the redox mechanisms in (de-)lithiated battery electrodes. This approach reconciles the redox description of two canonical cathodes -- LiMn${0.6}$Fe${0.4}$PO${4}$ and LiNiO${2}$ -- in terms of varying degrees of charge transfer using the established Zaanen-Sawatzky-Allen framework, common to condensed matter physics. In LiMn${0.6}$Fe${0.4}$PO${4}$, we show that capacity arises due to the depopulation of metal 3d states. Whereas, in LiNiO${2}$, charge transfer dominates and redox occurs through the formation and elimination of ligand hole states. This work clarifies the role of oxygen in Ni-rich system and provides a framework to explain how capacity can be extracted from oxygen-dominated states in highly covalent systems without needing to invoke dimerisation.