Hanbat National University Study Shows Cation Disorder Could Improve Lithium-Rich Cathodes

Experiments show a disordered structure enhances lithium transport while preventing performance degradation

CHUNGCHEONG PROVINCE, South Korea, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Lithium-rich cathodes could be key to developing batteries with higher energy densities. However, transition metal ions can drift out of place during operation, blocking lithium transport. In a recent study, researchers from Korea tackled this issue by intentionally introducing disorder in the cathode's atomic structure. This strategy resulted in improved performance and stability, highlighting a potential new route toward higher-energy batteries for applications like electric vehicles and energy storage.

Lithium-rich cathode materials promise higher energy density for next-generation batteries in electronics and electric vehicles, but they suffer from performance loss when migrating metal ions block lithium pathways. Although scientists traditionally tried to preserve an orderly crystal structure to prevent this issue, a recent study by Professor Kyojin Ku's team at Hanbat National University, Korea, explored an unconventional approach. Made available online on July 18, 2026, and published in Volume 90 of Energy Storage Materials on August 1, 2026, their research focused on intentionally disrupting the cathode's atomic structure instead.

The team focused on Li_1.2Ni_0.4Mn_0.4O₂, a nickel-manganese composition that avoids expensive metals like cobalt. This particular composition normally forms a neatly layered structure, where lithium and transition-metal ions (nickel and manganese) sit in separate planes. To produce the desired disordered form, the researchers used high-energy ball milling with two structurally compatible layered starting materials. This mechanochemical process disrupted the arrangement of the cations, resulting in a crystal structure where lithium and transition-metal ions are distributed more randomly. "To our knowledge, this is the first time this type of composition has been made in the disordered form," remarks Prof. Ku.

By comparing the disordered material with its ordered counterpart, the researchers found that the disordered version showed more symmetric charge-discharge behavior, delivered higher capacity, and performed better under high currents. Moreover, it exhibited stable operation, retaining about 90% of its initial capacity after 50 cycles without a reduction in voltage.

Detailed theoretical and computational analysis helped explain the observed improvements. "By deliberately scrambling the atoms into a disordered rock-salt arrangement, we decoupled the movement of lithium from the harmful movement of the transition-metals," explains Prof. Ku. "Lithium still flows efficiently through a connected network of open pathways, while the transition-metals become effectively locked in place and can no longer block those pathways."

Overall, the findings point to an innovative and impactful approach for developing higher-energy-density cathodes. "We have shown that cation disorder can be used as a deliberate engineering tool to solve a problem that has held back an entire family of high-energy battery materials for years," concludes Prof. Ku. "If this principle is developed further, it could help move lithium-rich cathodes closer to real commercial use, paving the way for longer-lasting batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage."

Reference
Choi, H., Kim, K. S., Park, G., Cho, S.-P., Lee, S., Kim, H., Kim, C., Kim, B., & Ku, K. (2026). Suppressing transition metal migration via cation disorder engineering for enhanced kinetics in lithium-rich cathodes. Energy Storage Materials, 90, 105398. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ensm.2026.105398

About the institute
Established in 1927, Hanbat National University (HBNU) in Daejeon, South Korea, is a leading regional institution focused on practical education, industry-university cooperation, and real-world technological solutions.

Website: https://www.hanbat.ac.kr/eng/

About the author
Prof. Kyojin Ku, a faculty member in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at HBNU, leads a research group dedicated to discovering and designing next-generation cathode materials for lithium-ion, sodium-ion, and zinc-ion batteries.

Media Contact
Seyoung Jang
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SOURCE Hanbat National University