Materials Chemistry and Catalysis

Cathode-electrolyte interphase engineering for lithium-ion batteries

In recent years, research in lithium-ion batteries has increased exponentially. Probing the surface of anode under a microscope revealed the existence of the Solid-electrolyte interface (SEI), which is a serious problem linked with capacity loss and voltage fading^[1]. Prof. Goodenough et al., showed in his work that a similar interface layer is formed at the surface of cathodes called the Cathode-electrolyte Interface (CEI)^[2]. The cut-off potential is being pushed to its extreme, as increasing this potential limit allows us to extract more lithium from the crystal structure of the cathode, which in turn increases the output of the batteries themselves^[3]. But, this degrades the cathode structure, which leads to the shortening of their lifespan^[4]. Originally, CEI was thought to form at voltages above the working potential (i.e., 4.2 V) of lithium-ion batteries, but new studies suggest otherwise^[5].

I will be working to identify the components of CEI formed on different Ni-rich cathodes, and to coat a thin-film on the surface of the cathode. Surface coating techniques like Atomic layer deposition (ALD), Molecular layer deposition (MLD), and Pulse layer deposition (PLD) with the help of institutes like TU Delft, TU/e, and RUG. Techniques such as XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM, FTIR, Physisorption, and electrochemical characterization techniques such as CV, CCCD, and EIS can help to understand the CEI.

Fig. 1 Schematic representation of Cathode-Electrolyte– Interphase and Interface (a) under 4.3V, (b) above 4.3V, and (c) close-up of CEI

References

[1] An Overview on the Advances of LiCoO2 Cathodes for Lithium‐Ion Batteries, Advanced Energy Materials 11(2), Wiley 2021, 1614-6832, 10.1002/aenm.202000982

[2] K. Mizushima, P.C. Jones, P.J. Wiseman, J.B. Goodenough, Li_xCoO₂ (0<x<-1): A new cathode material for batteries of high energy density, Materials Research Bulletin, Volume 15, Issue 6, 1980, Pages 783-789

[3] Daxian Zuo, Guanglei Tian, Xiang Li, Da Chen, Kangying Shu, Recent progress in surface coating of cathode materials for lithium-ion secondary batteries, Journal of Alloys and Compounds, Volume 706, 2017, Pages 24-40

[4] Face to Face at the Cathode Electrolyte Interphase: From Interface Features to Interphase Formation and Dynamics, Advanced Materials Interfaces 9(8) Wiley 2022, 2196-7350

[5] Xu, J. Critical Review on cathode–electrolyte Interphase Toward High-Voltage Cathodes for Li-Ion Batteries. Nano-Micro Lett. 14, 166 (2022).

C.V.

Work Experience:

(October 2022- Present)
Ph.D. candidate at the Materials Chemistry and Catalysis group, Utrecht University, The Netherlands. Supervised by Prof. Dr. Petra de Jongh and Dr. Peter Ngene.

(March 2022 – June 2022)
Research Associate at GODI India Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad, India

(June 2019 – September 2021)
Research Intern at Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India. Supervised by Dr. Paresh H. Salame.

Education:

Institute of Chemical Technology
M.Sc. – Physics (Specialization in Material Science)

K. J. Somaiya College of Science and Commerce
B.Sc. (Major in Physics)