Degradation and Aging Routes of Ni-Rich Cathode Based Li-Ion Batteries

Abstract

Driven by the increasing plea for greener transportation and efficient integration of renewable energy sources, Ni-rich metal layered oxides, namely NMC, Li [Ni1−x−yCoyMnz] O2 (x + y ≤ 0.4), and NCA, Li [Ni1−x−yCoxAly] O2, cathode materials have garnered huge attention for the development of Next-Generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The impetus behind such huge celebrity includes their higher capacity and cost effectiveness when compared to the-state-of-the-art LiCoO2 (LCO) and other low Ni content NMC versions. However, despite all the beneficial attributes, the large-scale deployment of Ni-rich NMC based LIBs poses a technical challenge due to less stability of the cathode/electrolyte interphase (CEI) and diverse degradation processes that are associated with electrolyte decomposition, transition metal cation dissolution, cation–mixing, oxygen release reaction etc. Here, the potential degradation routes, recent efforts and enabling strategies for mitigating the core challenges of Ni-rich NMC cathode materials are presented and assessed. In the end, the review shed light on the perspectives for the future research directions of Ni-rich cathode materials.

On the Sensitivity of the Ni-rich Layered Cathode Materials for Li-ion Batteries to the Different Calcination Conditions

“…Electric vehicles or large energy storage systems require batteries with diverse performance parameters, and thus a different composition, mainly with respect to the cathode material responsible for the capacity of the entire cell. Currently, cathode materials with high nickel content [ 8 , 9 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ] are becoming more and more popular, which is particularly important from an economic point of view; cobalt (the basic component of the LCO material) is an expensive metal and its deposits are limited and hard to access. This group of cathode powders includes LiNi x Mn y Co z O 2 (NMC) and LiNi x Co y Al z O 2 (NCA) materials with high nickel content (x ≥ 0.6), formed by partly substituting cobalt with other metals (nickel, manganese, aluminum), as well as LNO (lithium nickel oxide) material—an analogue of LCO with very high theoretical capacity [ 19 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 ].…”

A Review on Temperature-Dependent Electrochemical Properties, Aging, and Performance of Lithium-Ion Cells

“…The other high-temperature degradation mechanism at the cathode side is related to the oxidation of the electrolyte at the cathode electrolyte interface (CEI) and the instability of the CEI itself [144]. These processes are irreversible and result in a passivation film formation on the cathode surface, which is called a surface layer or passivation film.…”

Bio‐Derived Surface Layer Suitable for Long Term Cycling Ni‐Rich Cathode for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

“…[30] The lithium residues are subject to decomposition at high voltage, which causes gas generation in cells that may threaten safety during operation. [31] For this reason, the concentration of those residues should be lowered as much as possible Since Ni-rich cathode material is very sensitive to moisture and easily forms residual lithium compounds that degrade cell performance, it is very important to pay attention to the selection of the surface modifying media. Accordingly, hydroxyapatite (Ca 5 (PO 4 ) 3 (OH)), a tooth-derived material showing excellent mechanical and thermodynamic stabilities, is selected.…”