Revisiting Surface Modification of Graphite: Dual-Layer Coating for High-Performance Lithium Battery Anode Materials

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Surface modification is crucial for enhancing lithium-ion battery performance.
• Advanced batteries require electrode materials with higher capacity, stability, and reduced swelling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel dual-layer coating strategy for natural graphite anode materials.
• To investigate the synergistic effects of antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) nanoparticles and carbon coating.
• To evaluate the electrochemical performance of the modified anode in lithium-ion batteries.

Main Methods:

• Antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) nanoparticles synthesized via hydrothermal method.
• Natural graphite decorated with ATO nanoparticles and a carbon precursor (citric acid).
• Carbonization to form the dual-layer carbon/ATO-decorated natural graphite (c/ATO-NG) anode.

Main Results:

• The c/ATO-NG anode achieved a high capacity of 530 mA h g⁻¹.
• Excellent cycling retention of 98.1% after 50 cycles at C/5 rate.
• Significantly reduced electrode swelling (38% after 100 cycles) compared to bare graphite.
• A full-cell with c/ATO-NG anode demonstrated over 80% capacity retention after 100 cycles.

Conclusions:

• The dual-layer coating of ATO nanoparticles and carbon provides synergistic effects, enhancing anode performance.
• This coating strategy offers a promising route for developing high-performance anode materials for next-generation lithium-ion batteries.
• The c/ATO-NG material exhibits superior electrochemical properties, including capacity, cycling stability, and low volume expansion.