Class: Metal oxide, cadmium iodide (structure type), intercalation solid

Related Structures: Brucite (parent mineral), cadmium iodide, titanium sulfide, lithium iron phosphate

Notable Properties: reductive intercalation, battery electrode

Description:

Lithium cobalt oxide is of the cadmium iodide structure type, a motif that dominates solid state chemistry and a Drosophila of condensed matter physics. one of the simplest minerals with this structure type is brucite (magnesium hydroxide). Lithium cobalt oxide itself is best known for is remarkable electrochemical energy storage. Descendants of this phase are the materials present in most portable electronics including cell phones, laptops, and electric vehicles. While the material has been known since 1958, feasibility as a lithium cathode material was not realized until 1980 when J. B. Goodenough reported with first prototype cells for the lamellar Li_xM₂O oxides. While the basic structure has been well known for a long time the subtilties of vacancy ordering  the non-stoichiometric phases were reported in 2003 by atomic resolution transmission electron microscopy.

The modern version of lithium cobaltate is transition metal doped cobaltate sheets that are highly optimized to provide the highest charge capacity (augmented with Mn doping), highest voltage (via Ni doping), and long-term stability to charge and discharge (Link)(Link)

Formula:

Li_xCO2

Space Group:

R-3m

Unit Cell Parameters:

a = 2.8161 b = 14.0536

Discovery:

1958

Unique phenomena:

Intercalation induced magnetic phase transitions, thermoelectricity, electrochromism