Comprehensive Enhancement of Nanostructured Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode Materials via Conformal Graphene Dispersion

Kan Sheng Chen, Rui Xu, Norman S. Luu, Ethan B. Secor, Koichi Hamamoto, Qianqian Li, Soo Kim, Vinod K. Sangwan, Itamar Balla, Linda M. Guiney, Jung Woo T. Seo, Xiankai Yu, Weiwei Liu, Jinsong Wu, Chris Wolverton, Vinayak P. Dravid, Scott A. Barnett, Jun Lu, Khalil Amine, Mark C. Hersam*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalLetterpeer-review

85 Scopus citations

Abstract

Efficient energy storage systems based on lithium-ion batteries represent a critical technology across many sectors including consumer electronics, electrified transportation, and a smart grid accommodating intermittent renewable energy sources. Nanostructured electrode materials present compelling opportunities for high-performance lithium-ion batteries, but inherent problems related to the high surface area to volume ratios at the nanometer-scale have impeded their adoption for commercial applications. Here, we demonstrate a materials and processing platform that realizes high-performance nanostructured lithium manganese oxide (nano-LMO) spinel cathodes with conformal graphene coatings as a conductive additive. The resulting nanostructured composite cathodes concurrently resolve multiple problems that have plagued nanoparticle-based lithium-ion battery electrodes including low packing density, high additive content, and poor cycling stability. Moreover, this strategy enhances the intrinsic advantages of nano-LMO, resulting in extraordinary rate capability and low temperature performance. With 75% capacity retention at a 20C cycling rate at room temperature and nearly full capacity retention at −20 °C, this work advances lithium-ion battery technology into unprecedented regimes of operation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2539-2546
Number of pages8
JournalNano letters
Volume17
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 12 2017

Funding

This work was primarily supported by the Center for Electrochemical Energy Science, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences (DE-AC02-06CH11357) and made use of facilities at the NUANCE Center, the Quantitative Bio-Element Imaging Center, and the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center at Northwestern University, which have received support from the Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF NNCI-1542205), the MRSEC program (NSF DMR- 1121262), the International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN), the Keck Foundation, the State of Illinois, NASA Ames Research Center (NNA06CB93G), and Office of Science of the United States Department of Energy (DE-AC02- 05CH11231). This research was also supported in part through the computational resources and staff contributions of the Quest High Performance Computing Facility at Northwestern University, which is jointly supported by the Office of the Provost, the Office for Research, and Northwestern University Information Technology. K.-S.C. would like to thank Dr. Laila Jaber-Ansari for helpful guidance and discussions at the initial stage of the research. S.K. acknowledges support from Northwestern University-Argonne Institute of Science and Engineering (NAISE). K.H. acknowledges partial support from the JSPS Program for Advancing Strategic International Networks to Accelerate the Circulation of Talented Researchers.

Keywords

  • Lithium manganese oxide
  • high packing density
  • high rate capability
  • low temperature
  • nanoparticle
  • spinel

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Bioengineering
  • General Chemistry
  • General Materials Science
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Mechanical Engineering

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