Mitigating Crosstalk by Slurry Additive Toward 5 V Cobalt-Free LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ Cathode.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LNMO) is a promising high-voltage cathode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs).
• LNMO suffers from interfacial degradation and electrolyte breakdown during high-voltage operation, limiting its lifespan.
• Developing strategies to mitigate these issues is crucial for practical high-energy density LIBs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a polyester-urethane-acrylate (PEUA) slurry additive as a multi-functional electrode coating.
• To enhance the cycling performance and energy density of high-voltage LIBs using LNMO cathodes.
• To investigate the mechanism by which PEUA prevents cathode-electrolyte-anode interface crosstalk.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of an ultra-thin electrode coating using PEUA slurry additive.
• Comprehensive electrochemical characterizations (cycling performance, rate capability).
• Material analysis and theoretical calculations to understand interfacial interactions.

Main Results:

• The PEUA coating effectively maintained electrode integrity and facilitated ion/electron transport.
• Hazardous side reactions and interface crosstalk were significantly inhibited.
• The 5V LNMO || Li cell demonstrated 97.8% capacity retention with improved stability at high temperatures and in full-cell configurations.

Conclusions:

• PEUA slurry additive is a viable strategy to enhance the stability and lifespan of high-voltage cobalt-free cathodes.
• This approach effectively mitigates interfacial degradation, enabling advanced LIB technology.
• The study advances the practical application of high-energy density LIBs.