Revealing the Chemical and Structural Complexity of Electrochemical Ion Exchange in Layered Oxide Materials

Soft chemistry techniques, such as ion exchange, hold great potential for the development of battery electrode materials that cannot be stabilized via conventional equilibrium synthesis methods. Nevertheless, the intricate mechanisms governing ion exchange remain elusive. Herein, we investigate the evolution of the long-range and local structure, as well as the ion (de)intercalation mechanism during electrochemical Li-to-Na ion exchange initiated from an O3-type lithium-layered oxide cathode. The