LiNbO3 Coatings on NCM622: Structure and Performance Insights

J Haust and YR Guo and J Belz and S Ahmed and N Adeli and F Hueppe and LC Erhard and V Mereacre and J Rohrer and AL Hansen and H Ehrenberg and K Albe and JR Binder and K Volz, ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES, 12 (2025).

DOI: 10.1002/admi.202500590

For enhancing the electrochemical performance of solid-state batteries (SSBs), protective coatings are applied on the cathode active material (CAM) to mitigate the degradation of the cathode/electrolyte interface. A comprehensive understanding of the structural properties of these coatings is crucial for further optimization. This study investigates the effect of LiNbO3-related coatings on LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 (NCM622) CAM, focusing on the relationship between coating structure and electrochemical performance in battery cells. Therefore, three samples calcinated at 550, 350 and, 80 degrees C temperature are analyzed with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and scanning precession electron diffraction (SPED) in combination with a pair distribution function (PDF) analysis. The results reveal that only an amorphous LiNbO3 coating with a calcination temperature of 350 degrees C significantly improves the electrochemical performance of the CAM. In contrast, at higher calcination temperatures the coating crystallizes, while at lower calcination temperatures the coating becomes a mixed niobium oxide phase, both of which correlate with reduced battery performance.

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