Nanomechanical Quantification of Elastic, Plastic, and Fracture Properties of LiCoO2

LiCoO 2 is an important lithium storage compound that adopts a distorted rock-salt structure of the α -NaFeO 2 type. After the discovery of reversible lithium (de)intercalation in this layered host compound by Mizushima et al., [ 1 ] this material became central to the introduction and subsequent development of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) of high energy and power density. The advantages of LiCoO 2 as a lithium-ion positive electrode material are numerous and include high specifi c capacity and energy density, [ 1 ] high electronic [ 2 ] and ionic [ 3–5 ] conductivities, long cycle life, [ 6 ] and relatively modest structural distortion with varying lithium concentration. [ 7 ] A broad range of isostructural compositions within the pseudoquaternary system Li(Co,Ni,Mn,Al)O 2 remain at the forefront of lithium battery research and development. [ 8 ]