In-situ cladding PEDOT:PSS on V-doped NCA cathodes for optimized interface and high electrochemical performance of Li-ion battery

Abstract

The LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 (NCA) nickel-rich layered cathode material is widely used for Li-ion batteries because of its excellent structural stability and high specific capacity. However, the Li/Ni mixing effect and the generation of interfacial secondary reactions in NCA cathode materials reduce the electrochemical properties of Li-ion batteries. Herein, we report a series of vanadium (V)-doped NCA cathode (VNCA) materials with different amounts of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) polymers in-situ coated on the surface using a liquid-phase method. The introduction of PEDOT:PSS coating not only improves the conductivity of NCA cathode materials but also protects the surface of cathode materials from cracking during the cycle. Electrochemical results show that the PEDOT:PSS (2 wt%) coating possesses high capacity retention rate (83.58%) after 200 cycles at 1 C, which is better than that of the sample without coating (66.7%). The PEDOT:PSS (2 wt%) coated cathode materials also display superior rate performance to VNCA at high magnification. This work provides new methods and theoretical guidance for the development of efficient ternary cathode materials for Li-ion batteries.