Synthesis of Ni-Rich Thin-Film Cathode as Model System for Lithium Ion Batteries

Nathan D. Phillip, Rose E. Ruther, Xiahan Sang, Yongqiang Wang, Raymond R. Unocic, Andrew S. Westover, Claus Daniel, Gabriel M. Veith

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

34 Scopus citations

Abstract

We demonstrate a process to prepare model electrodes of the Ni-rich layered compound LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2. These thin-film cathodes are compared with the composite materials to demonstrate the system is a viable platform for isolating interfacial phenomena between the electrolyte and active material without the influence of binders and conductive additives. The appropriate choice of heterolayers was found to influence the preferential orientation of the (101) and (104) planes relative to the (003) plane of the layered R-3m crystal structure, enhancing Li+ diffusion and improving electrochemical performance. The addition of a Co interlayer between the Pt current collecting layer and alumina substrate increased the (101) and (104) texturing of the 500 nm Ni-rich film and allowed cells to deliver greater than 50% of their theoretical capacity. This work provides an architecture for isolating complex mechanisms of active materials that suffer from surface reconstruction and degradation in electrochemical cells.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1405-1412
Number of pages8
JournalACS Applied Energy Materials
Volume2
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 25 2019

Funding

This research at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, managed by UT Battelle, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725, was sponsored by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) (Deputy Director: David Howell) Applied Battery Research subprogram (Program Manager: Peter Faguy) (N.D.P., R.E.R., C.D., and G.M.V.). Funding for A.S.W. was provided by ARPA-E Award No. DE-AR0000775. The authors are grateful for FIB sample preparation by Dorothy Coffey of the ORNL Center for Nanophase Materials Science (CNMS), which is a DOE Office of Science User Facility. Thin-film XRD and S/TEM studies (X.S. and R.R.U.) were conducted at the CNMS. RBS experiments were performed at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, an Office of Science User Facility operated for the U.S. DOE Office of Science. Los Alamos National Laboratory, an affirmative action equal opportunity employer, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, for the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. DOE under Contract DE-AC52-06NA25396 (Y.W.).

Keywords

  • Ni-rich electrode
  • cathode-electrolyte interface
  • magnetron sputter deposition
  • solid-state lithium ion battery
  • thin film

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