The fact that ordered materials are rarely perfectly crystalline is widely acknowledged among materials scientists, but its impact is often overlooked or underestimated when studying how structure relates to properties. Various investigations demonstrate that intrinsic and extrinsic defects, and disorder generated by physicochemical reactions, are responsible for unexpectedly detrimental or beneficial functionalities. The task remains to modulate the disorder to produce desired properties in materials. As disorder is often correlated with local interactions, it is controllable. In this Review, we explore the structural disorder in cathode materials as a novel approach for improving their electrochemical performance. We revisit cathode materials for alkali-ion batteries and outline the origins and beneficial consequences of disorder. Focusing on layered, cubic rocksalt and other metal oxides, we discuss how disorder improves electrochemical properties of cathode materials and which interactions generate the disorder. We also present the potential pitfalls of disorder that must be considered. We conclude with perspectives for enhancing the electrochemical performance of cathode materials by using disorder.

材料科学家广泛承认有序材料很少是完美结晶的事实，但在研究结构与性能的关系时，其影响常常被忽视或低估。各种研究表明，内在和外在缺陷以及物理化学反应产生的紊乱是导致意想不到的有害或有益功能的原因。任务仍然是调节无序以在材料中产生所需的特性。由于紊乱通常与局部相互作用相关，因此它是可控的。在这篇综述中，我们探索了正极材料的结构无序作为提高其电化学性能的新方法。我们重新审视碱离子电池的阴极材料，并概述无序的起源和有益后果。我们重点关注层状立方岩盐和其他金属氧化物，讨论无序如何改善阴极材料的电化学性能以及哪些相互作用产生无序。我们还提出了必须考虑的潜在混乱陷阱。最后，我们提出了利用无序增强正极材料电化学性能的观点。