Operando X‑ray Absorption Study of the Redox Processes Involved upon Cycling of the Li-Rich Layered Oxide Li1.20Mn0.54Co0.13Ni0.13O2 in Li Ion Batteries

Operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy investigations have been carried out to follow changes in the atomic and electronic local structures of all three transition metals for the Li1.20Mn0.54Co0.13Ni0.13O2 layered oxide during the first and second charges and discharges of lithium batteries. The experiments were performed using a Quick-XAS monochromator on the SAMBA beamline at Synchrotron SOLEIL to record the three K-edges by edge-jumping between two energy ranges ([Mn, Co] and [Co, Ni]) every 3 min during the cycling of the battery. The results obtained especially at the Mn K-edge fully support the participation of oxygen in the reversible charge–discharge reaction of this Li- and Mn-rich layered material as a redox center and not only with oxygen loss, as was proposed previously.