According to foreign media reports, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory used oxidative chemical vapor deposition technology to develop a new cathode coating technology to ensure the conductivity of lithium batteries from the positive and negative electrodes to the battery's durability after multiple cycles. safety.

　　"The newly developed cathode coating technology kills two birds with one stone," said Khalil Amine, a researcher and battery scientist at Argonne Laboratory. This means that this cathode coating technology can solve multiple problems in the production process of lithium batteries at the same time. See below for details.

　　During the study, Amine and other researchers extracted particles from nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) cathode material and wrapped them in a sulfur-containing polymer called PEDOT. This polymer provides a layer of protection for the positive electrode from the battery's electrolyte as the battery charges and discharges.

　　Traditional coatings only protect the surface of μm-sized cathode particles, making them prone to cracking internally. But the PEDOT coating can penetrate the inside of the cathode particles, adding an extra layer of shielding.

　　In addition, the PEDOT polymer prevents the chemical reaction between the cathode material and the electrolyte, while also allowing the transport of lithium ions and electrons. It can improve the electronic and ionic conductivity of the battery, while improving the safety and cycle performance of the battery.

　　"This coating is essentially friendly to all battery engineering and chemical processes, while addressing concerns about reactions that could lead to battery degradation or failure," said Argonne chemist Guiliang Xu, the study's first author.

　　The PEDOT coating can also largely prevent another reaction that causes the deactivation of the battery cathode, which is the formation of lithium dendrites.

　　In addition, "Oxygen release is a major factor in the degradation of NMC cathode materials under high pressure. The PEDOT coating is able to inhibit oxygen release during charging, which makes the structure more stable and improves safety." Amine said.

　　Amine noted that PEDOT coatings will expand for use in high-nickel NCM batteries. Such polymer coatings have been around for some time, but their advantages are still being discovered. With the application of PEDOT coating, researchers believe that NMC batteries can operate at higher voltages, increase energy density, and extend battery life.

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