Aluminum oxide coatings on Co-rich cathodes and interactions with organic electrolyte

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Peiris, M. D. Hashan C., Woodcox, Michael, Liepinya, Diana, Shepard, Robert, Liu, Hao, Smeu, Manuel
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Peiris, M. D. Hashan C.
Woodcox, Michael
Liepinya, Diana
Shepard, Robert
Liu, Hao
Smeu, Manuel
author_facet Peiris, M. D. Hashan C.
Woodcox, Michael
Liepinya, Diana
Shepard, Robert
Liu, Hao
Smeu, Manuel
contents Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become essential in modern energy storage; however, their performance is often limited by the stability and efficiency of their components, particularly the cathode and electrolyte. Transition metal layered oxide cathodes, a popular choice for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), suffer from several degradation mechanisms, including capacity fading, reactions with the electrolyte, unstable cathode-electrolyte interfaces, and lattice breakdown during cycling. In recent years, oxide coating, such as alumina, has emerged as a promising strategy to enhance the durability of cathodes by forming a protective layer that mitigates detrimental reactions and improves the stability of the cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI). This study employs ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations to investigate the chemical and mechanical behavior of LiCoO2 cathodes with and without aluminum oxide coatings in contact with an organic electrolyte. We examine the interactions between electrolyte molecules with both bare and coated cathode surfaces, focusing on the decomposition of ethylene carbonate (EC) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC), the formation of oxygen species, and solvation dynamics, and evaluate the mechanical robustness of the cathode-coating interface using calculations of axial strain and cleavage energy. Our findings reveal that alumina coatings effectively reduce electrolyte degradation and stabilize the cathode structure, particularly under high-charge states. The coating's thickness and structural orientation are crucial in enhancing mechanical strength and minimizing detrimental reactions at the cathode-electrolyte interface. These insights contribute to the development of more durable LIBs by optimizing the interface chemistry and mechanical properties, providing a pathway toward higher energy densities and longer cycle life.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_09252
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Aluminum oxide coatings on Co-rich cathodes and interactions with organic electrolyte
Peiris, M. D. Hashan C.
Woodcox, Michael
Liepinya, Diana
Shepard, Robert
Liu, Hao
Smeu, Manuel
Materials Science
Chemical Physics
Computational Physics
Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become essential in modern energy storage; however, their performance is often limited by the stability and efficiency of their components, particularly the cathode and electrolyte. Transition metal layered oxide cathodes, a popular choice for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), suffer from several degradation mechanisms, including capacity fading, reactions with the electrolyte, unstable cathode-electrolyte interfaces, and lattice breakdown during cycling. In recent years, oxide coating, such as alumina, has emerged as a promising strategy to enhance the durability of cathodes by forming a protective layer that mitigates detrimental reactions and improves the stability of the cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI). This study employs ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations to investigate the chemical and mechanical behavior of LiCoO2 cathodes with and without aluminum oxide coatings in contact with an organic electrolyte. We examine the interactions between electrolyte molecules with both bare and coated cathode surfaces, focusing on the decomposition of ethylene carbonate (EC) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC), the formation of oxygen species, and solvation dynamics, and evaluate the mechanical robustness of the cathode-coating interface using calculations of axial strain and cleavage energy. Our findings reveal that alumina coatings effectively reduce electrolyte degradation and stabilize the cathode structure, particularly under high-charge states. The coating's thickness and structural orientation are crucial in enhancing mechanical strength and minimizing detrimental reactions at the cathode-electrolyte interface. These insights contribute to the development of more durable LIBs by optimizing the interface chemistry and mechanical properties, providing a pathway toward higher energy densities and longer cycle life.
title Aluminum oxide coatings on Co-rich cathodes and interactions with organic electrolyte
topic Materials Science
Chemical Physics
Computational Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.09252