3D-CAT – Accelerated Development of Next Generation Lithium-rich 3D Cathode Materials
Changes to the cathode are a route to significant improvements in future lithium-ion battery performance: improving energy density, boosting battery life, reducing cost and increasing the range and power available to EVs.
In industry, there is a major shift towards use of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) cathodes that avoid the use of cobalt and nickel used in lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxides (NMC). However, LFP and LMFP have lower energy densities than NMC materials. The development of new cathode materials that outperform LFP and LMFP without requiring costly, geographically concentrated precursors or impractical synthesis routes, and that have performance to rival NMC hold substantial disruptive potential for the UK.
Among the most promising materials in this class are lithium-rich disordered rocksalts. These are capable of high energy densities but exhibit poor rate performance (how fast the battery can be charged or deliver its energy during use) and other performance characteristics. They are also typically made using ball-milling processes that cannot be scaled easily and that require high energy usage.
Recent work has revealed that partial (local) ordering of lithium and transition metal elements in the crystal lattice of the disordered rocksalt cathode materials can overcome the poor rate performance by influencing the 3D structure of the lithium-ion transport network. This opens the door to new, high-performance Li-rich 3-dimensional cathode (3DC) materials that can be made via scalable synthesis methods.
The 3D-CAT project therefore seeks to build on the capability and understanding harnessed within the CATMAT project to develop these novel, 3DC materials from first principles through to validation in single layer pouch cells.
Timeline with milestones / deliverables (to September 2028)
- Understand and demonstrate control over local ordering in Li-rich 3DC cathodes to maximise lithium-ion transport and rate capability.
- Understand the impact of different particle sizes and morphologies of Li-rich 3DC on electrode compaction (affecting energy density) and cycle life.
- Measure and improve the bulk electronic conductivity of the materials through local structure and composition control.
- Develop and optimise conductive coatings and scalable coating methods to improve rate capability and reduce reduction in performance with cycling.
- Synthesise 100g batches of materials for validation in single layer pouch cells.
- Develop sustainable, low-cost and energy efficient synthesis routes to make high performance Li-rich 3DC.
Project innovations
3D-CAT aims to deliver successive generations of prototype cathode material at 100g scale and validate their performance in single layer pouch cells. By developing the fundamental science underpinning fast ion transport and local structure in Li-rich 3DC, researchers will deliver intellectual property for the benefit of UK industry, and potentially opportunities for spin-out ventures.
3D-CAT has selected industry partners that are uniquely positioned to support different stages of the materials development and commercialisation process. These, largely UK-based, companies will play key roles in cathode optimisation and production, benchmarking against industry standards, and ensuring project targets align with industry need. Partners include the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) where experts at the AMBIC materials battery scale-up facility will help guide the choice of synthesis routes to ensure scalability and support the translation of synthesis conditions as target materials are produced at larger scales.
Duration
1 October 2025 – 30 September 2028
Project funding
£3.0 million
Principal Investigators
Dr Robert House
University of Oxford
University Partners
University of Oxford (Lead)
University College London
+ 4 Industrial Partners
And AMBIC at CPI
