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Regulating Lithium Intercalation/Plating Competition To Enhance Low-Temperature Performance of Li-Ion Batteries
Maozeng Cheng1, Aoyuan Chen1, Zhenjie Zhang1
1Center of Energy Storage Materials & Technology, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, National Laboratory of Solid-State Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, P. R. China.
This study reveals lithium plating limits low-temperature Li-ion battery performance. Engineering the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) delays plating onset, enabling high-energy batteries with improved subzero temperature capacity.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Energy Storage
Background:
- Lithium-ion batteries suffer capacity loss at subzero temperatures due to lithium plating on graphite anodes.
- Lithium plating consumes active lithium and hinders battery performance in cold conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the mechanism of lithium plating onset at low temperatures.
- To develop strategies for enhancing Li-ion battery performance below 0°C.
Main Methods:
- Investigated critical depth of discharge (DOD) and potential for lithium plating.
- Engineered the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) using a novel electrolyte (nff-LB005) with LiNO3, FEC, and LiFSI.
- Tested graphite||Li cells and NCM811||graphite full cells at subzero temperatures (-20°C and -30°C).
Main Results:
- Identified that Li-ion intercalation is more sensitive to low temperatures than deintercalation.
- Constructed an inorganic-rich SEI that reduces interfacial resistance and overpotential.
- Achieved significant capacity retention at -30°C in full cells (98% over 400 cycles).
Conclusions:
- SEI engineering effectively delays lithium plating onset to higher DOD.
- The proposed strategy enables high-energy Li-ion batteries with superior low-temperature performance.
- This approach is crucial for applications requiring reliable battery operation in cold environments.
