Electron Diffraction Study of the Layered Li[sub y](Ni[sub 0.425]Mn[sub 0.425]Co[sub 0.15])[sub 0.88]O[sub 2] Materials Reintercalated after Two Different States of Charge

A long and irreversible plateau is observed for . The layered ( and 0.73) materials were prepared by discharging to cells charged up to (beginning of the plateau) and (end of the plateau), respectively. The structure was investigated using the combination of X-ray and electron diffraction experiments to study a possible structural evolution upon cycling of the superstructure observed for the pristine material. The disappearance of the superlattice lines in the range in the X-ray diffraction pattern as well as that of the diffuse disorder scattering lines (or the extra spots) in the electron diffraction patterns were clearly observed for . These results revealed the loss of the superstructure and thus of the cation ordering within the slabs when the cells are charged to the end of the plateau. Moreover, other new diffuse disorder scattering lines were observed along the axis itself for the material that has seen the plateau, which were attributed to local interslab space thickness variations.