Improving the Stability of High-Voltage Lithium Cobalt Oxide with a Multifunctional Electrolyte Additive: Interfacial Analyses

Abstract

In recent years, various attempts have been made to meet the increasing demand for high energy density of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The increase in voltage can improve the capacity and the voltage platform performance of the electrode materials. However, as the charging voltage increases, the stabilization of the interface between the cathode material and the electrolyte will decrease, causing side reactions on both sides during the charge–discharge cycling, which seriously affects the high-temperature storage and the cycle performance of LIBs. In this study, a sulfate additive, dihydro-1,3,2-dioxathiolo[1,3,2]dioxathiole 2,2,5,5-tetraoxide (DDDT), was used as an efficient multifunctional electrolyte additive for high-voltage lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2). Nanoscale protective layers were formed on the surfaces of both the cathode and the anode electrodes by the electrochemical redox reactions, which greatly decreased the side reactions and improved the voltage stability of the electrodes. By adding 2% (wt.%) DDDT into the electrolyte, LiCoO2 exhibited improved Li-storage performance at the relatively high temperature of 60 °C, controlled swelling behavior (less than 10% for 7 days), and excellent cycling performance (capacity retention rate of 76.4% at elevated temperature even after 150 cycles).