What is Lithium Cobalt Oxide？

Lithium cobalt oxide is a dark blue or bluish-gray crystalline solid, and is commonly used in the positive electrodes of lithium-ion batteries.

Currently, the most popular lithium-ion technology is the lithium-cobalt oxide (LCO) battery which has a cathode composed of LiCoO2. The main feature of the LCO battery is the high energy density translating into a long run-time for portable devices such as cell phones, tablets, laptops and cameras. The cathode material contains 60% cobalt and accounts for 50% of the weight of the cathode.

The LCO battery has drawbacks in having a low life span, and a relatively low safety performance at hot and cold temperatures.

The technology of LCO is constantly improving with the majority of research focusing on the cathode and electrolyte solution. The anode is considered well optimized allowing for few improvements.