Interphase Engineering Enhanced Electro-chemical Stability of Prelithiated Anode

• Published in: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Vol. 20; no. 2; p. e2305639
• Main Authors: Xu, Shiwei, Fang, Qiu, Wu, Jipeng, Weng, Suting, Li, Xiaoyun, Liu, Qiuyan, Wang, Qiyu, Yu, Xiqian, Chen, Liquan, Li, Yejing, Wang, Zhaoxiang, Wang, Xuefeng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-01-2024
• Subjects: Controllability; Cryoforming; Electrochemical analysis; Electrodes; Electrolytes; Ion transport; Lithium-ion batteries; Photoelectrons; Solid electrolytes; Solution heat treatment; prelithiation; lithium-ion batteries; artificial solid electrolyte interphase (SEI); graphite anodes
• ISSN: 1613-6810; 1613-6829
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.202305639

Prelithiation is an essential technology to compensate for the initial lithium loss of lithium-ion batteries due to the formation of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and irreversible structure change. However, the prelithiated materials/electrodes become more reactive with air and electrolyte resulting in unwanted side reactions and contaminations, which makes it difficult for the practical application of prelithiation technology. To address this problem, herein, interphase engineering through a simple solution treatment after chemical prelithiation is proposed to protect the prelithiated electrode. The used solutions are carefully selected, and the composition and nanostructure of the as-formed artificial SEIs are revealed by cryogenic electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electrochemical evaluation demonstrates the unique merits of this artificial SEI, especially for the fluorinated interphase, which not only enhances the interfacial ion transport but also increases the tolerance of the prelithiated electrode to the air. The treated graphite electrode shows an initial Coulombic efficiency of 129.4%, a high capacity of 170 mAh g
at 3 C, and negligible capacity decay after 200 cycles at 1 C. These findings not only provide a facile, universal, and controllable method to construct an artificial SEI but also enlighten the upgrade of battery fabrication and the alternative use of advanced electrolytes.