Elegant design of electrode and electrode/electrolyte interface in lithium-ion batteries by atomic layer deposition

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are very promising power supply systems for a variety of applications, such as electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, grid energy storage, and microelectronics. However, to realize these practical applications, many challenges need to be addressed in LIBs, such as power and energy density, cycling lifetime, safety, and cost. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is emerging as a powerful technique for solving these problems due to its exclusive advantages over other film deposition counterparts. In this review, we summarize the state-of-the-art progresses of employing ALD to design novel nanostructured electrode materials and solid-state electrolytes and to tailor electrode/electrolyte interface by surface coatings in order to prevent unfavorable side reactions and achieve optimal performance of the electrode. Insights into the future research and development of the ALD technique for LIB applications are also discussed. We expect that this review article will provide resourceful information to researchers in both fields of LIBs and ALD and also will stimulate more insightful studies of using ALD for the development of next-generation LIBs.

Extremely stable platinum nanoparticles encapsulated in a zirconia nanocage by area-selective atomic layer deposition for the oxygen reduction reaction

Encapsulation of Pt nanoparticles (NPs) in a zirconia nanocage by area-selective atomic layer deposition (ALD) can significantly enhance both the Pt stability and activity. Such encapsulated Pt NPs show 10 times more stability than commercial Pt/C catalysts and an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity 6.4 times greater than that of Pt/C.

Atomic layer deposition of lithium phosphates as solid-state electrolytes for all-solid-state microbatteries

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) has been shown as a powerful technique to build three-dimensional (3D) all-solid-state microbattery, because of its unique advantages in fabricating uniform and pinhole-free thin films in 3D structures. The development of solid-state electrolyte by ALD is a crucial step to achieve the fabrication of 3D all-solid-state microbattery by ALD. In this work, lithium phosphate solid-state electrolytes were grown by ALD at four different temperatures (250, 275, 300, and 325 °C) using two precursors (lithium tert-butoxide and trimethylphosphate). A linear dependence of film thickness on ALD cycle number was observed and uniform growth was achieved at all four temperatures. The growth rate was 0.57, 0.66, 0.69, and 0.72 Å/cycle at deposition temperatures of 250, 275, 300, and 325 °C, respectively. Furthermore, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the compositions and chemical structures of lithium phosphates deposited by ALD. Moreover, the lithium phosphate thin films deposited at 300 °C presented the highest ionic conductivity of 1.73 × 10(-8) S cm(-1) at 323 K with ~ 0.51 eV activation energy based on the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The ionic conductivity was calculated to be 3.3 × 10(-8) S cm(-1) at 26 °C (299 K).

Self-assembly of nano/micro-structured Fe3O4 microspheres among 3D rGO/CNTs hierarchical networks with superior lithium storage performances

Nano/micro-structured Fe3O4 microspheres among three-dimensional (3D) reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) hierarchical networks (the ternary composite is denoted as rGCFs) have been synthesized using a facile, self-assembled and one-pot hydrothermal approach. The rGCFs composite exhibits superior lithium storage performances: initial discharge and charge capacities of 1452 and 1036 mAh g(-1), respectively, remarkable rate capability at current densities from 100 mA g(-1) to 10 A g(-1) and outstanding cycling performance up to 200 cycles. The highly enhanced electrochemical performances of rGCFs depend heavily on the robust 3D rGO/CNTs hierarchical networks, the stable nano/microstructures of active Fe3O4 microspheres and the positive synergistic effects of building components. The systematic structure characterizations and electrochemical investigations provide insightful understanding towards the relationship between structure/morphology and lithium storage performances, which may pave the way for the rational design of composite materials with desirable goals.