Enhanced Performance of Electrode Materials by Alucone Deposition for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Yonca Belce^a, Marti Biset Peiro^a, Maximiliano Merlo^a, Jordi Jacas Biendicho^a

^aCatalonia Institute for Energy Research, Jardins de les Dones de Negre 1, 2ª p., 08930, Barcelona, Spain

Proceedings of MATSUS Fall 2024 Conference (MATSUSFall24)

#BattMat - From atoms to devices – Battery materials design across the scales

Lausanne, Switzerland, 2024 November 12th - 15th

Organizers: Heather Au and Emilia Olsson

Oral, Yonca Belce, presentation 288
Publication date: 28th August 2024

Lithium-ion battery (LIB) technology, introduced in the 1990s, delivers significant performance enhancements and increased energy density, becoming the dominant choice for energy storage in portable devices, electric vehicles, and smart grids. LIBs incorporate carbon anode materials and lithium-transition metal oxide-based cathode materials to achieve high specific capacities, raising the energy density of secondary batteries to 400 Wh/L, making them well-suited for high-power applications such as power tools and hybrid vehicles[1], [2]. However, electrode degradation and stability during extended cycling at high currents remain areas that require improvement[3]. Improving electrode materials to achieve structural stability by mitigating side reactions is critical. Applying thin film coatings on electrode surfaces, in the form of a thin shell, has shown to be an effective strategy for overcoming performance limitations[4], [5], [6]. Atomic/molecular layer deposition (ALD/MLD) offers a promising approach by creating an optimal interface between the electrode surface and the electrolyte[7], [8], as some of us have already demonstrated for silicon anode [9]. In this study, we present the controlled growth and influence of thin alucone (AlGL) films on graphite anode and NMC622 cathode surfaces using the MLD technique to enhance capacity and reduce degradation in lithium-ion batteries. The discharge specific capacity of graphite anode material increased to 168 mAh/g with the alucone thin film from 80 mAh/g at 0.5C. This coating strategy also stabilizes the formation of the SEI film, improves Coulombic efficiency (CE), and enhances long-term cycling stability by reducing capacity loss.

References:

[1] F. M. N. U. Khan, M. G. Rasul, A. S. M. Sayem, and N. Mandal, “Maximizing energy density of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles: A critical review,” Energy Reports, vol. 9, pp. 11–21, 2023

[2] M. Duduta, S. de Rivaz, D. R. Clarke, and R. J. Wood, “Ultra-Lightweight, High Power Density Lithium-Ion Batteries,” Batter Supercaps, vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 131–134, Oct. 2018

[3] T. L. Kulova, “New electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries (Review),” Russian Journal of Electrochemistry, vol. 49, no. 1, pp. 1–25, 2013

[4] S. Neudeck et al., “Molecular Surface Modification of NCM622 Cathode Material Using Organophosphates for Improved Li-Ion Battery Full-Cells,” ACS Appl Mater Interfaces, vol. 10, no. 24, pp. 20487–20498, Jun. 2018

[5] M. D. Radin et al., “Narrowing the Gap between Theoretical and Practical Capacities in Li-Ion Layered Oxide Cathode Materials,” Adv Energy Mater, vol. 7, no. 20, p. 1602888, Oct. 2017

[6] J. Kim, H. Lee, H. Cha, M. Yoon, M. Park, and J. Cho, “Prospect and Reality of Ni-Rich Cathode for Commercialization,” Adv Energy Mater, vol. 8, no. 6, p. 1702028, Feb. 2018

[7] D. M. Piper et al., “Reversible high-capacity Si nanocomposite anodes for lithium-ion batteries enabled by molecular layer deposition,” Advanced Materials, vol. 26, no. 10, pp. 1596–1601, Mar. 2014

[8] A. A. Dameron et al., “Molecular layer deposition of alucone polymer films using trimethylaluminum and ethylene glycol,” Chemistry of Materials, vol. 20, no. 10, pp. 3315–3326, May 2008

[9] Z. C. Huertas, D. Settipani, C. Flox, J. R. Morante, T. Kallio, and J. J. Biendicho, “High performance silicon electrode enabled by titanicone coating,” Sci Rep, vol. 12, no. 1, p. 137, 2022

Acknowledgements:

This work was performed partly within the framework of FREE4LIB project (Feasible REcovery of critical raw materials through a new circular Ecosystem FOR a Li-Ion Battery cross-value chain in Europe). This project has received funding from Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101069890. Views and opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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