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Improved cycling performance of LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2/Al2O3 with core-shell structure synthesized by a heterogeneous nucleation-and-growth process

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Abstract

Al2O3 was successfully coated on LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 cathode material by a heterogeneous nucleation-and-growth process with a core-shell structure for Li-ion battery. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements were used to indicate that the crystal structure of LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 had no changes and no impurity phase existed after coating. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed differences of surface morphology between coated and uncoated samples. A thin and bright coating layer was visually observed through transmission electron microscope (TEM). It reveals that the thickness of coating layer is 7 nm approximately. Electrochemical measurements were also carried out. Although the initial discharge capacity of the coated sample decreased, the 1-wt.% Al2O3-coated sample showed improved cycling performance at room temperature (25 °C) and elevated temperature (55 °C). It provided higher capacity retention of 71.7 and 70.1 % for 1C at 25 and 55 °C after 100 cycles, in comparison with 55.3 and 55.8 % for the uncoated sample. Meanwhile, interfacial resistance between active material and electrolyte decreased detected by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) test. These enhancements in electrochemical characterizations are attributed to the improved stability of interface and the coating layer which served as the physical barriers to protect the active material from electrolyte attack.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Jiangsu Province Prospective Joint Research on Pilot Project (No. BY2013072-03), a Grant for State Key Program for Basic Research of China (Nos. 2013CB632702 and 2012CB921503), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11134006), a project funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD), a project of free exploration funded by the National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Test Foundation of Nanjing University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210093, China

    Gaole Dai, Min Yu, Fei Shen, Jiali Cao, Liang Ni, Yuefeng Tang & Yanfeng Chen

  2. National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, School of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China

    Yanbin Chen

  3. SuZhou Sun Sources Nano Science and Technology Co. Ltd, SuZhou, China

    Yuefeng Tang

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  1. Gaole Dai
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Correspondence to Yuefeng Tang.

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Dai, G., Yu, M., Shen, F. et al. Improved cycling performance of LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2/Al2O3 with core-shell structure synthesized by a heterogeneous nucleation-and-growth process. Ionics 22, 2021–2026 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11581-016-1750-x

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