Mitigating First-Cycle Capacity Losses in NMC811 via Lithicone Layers Grown by Molecular Layer Deposition

Nickel-rich LiNi(1-x-y)Mn(x)Co(y)O(2) (NMC, 1 - x - y ≥ 0.8) is currently considered one of the most promising cathode materials for high-energy-density automotive lithium-ion batteries. Here, we show that capacity losses occurring in balanced NMC811||graphite cells can be mitigated by lithicone layers grown by molecular layer deposition directly onto porous NMC811 particle electrodes. Lithicone layers with a stoichiometry of LiOC(0.5)H(0.3) as determined by elastic recoil detection analysis and a nominal thickness of 20 nm determined by ellipsometry on a flat reference substrate improve the overall NMC811||graphite cell capacity by ∼5% without negatively affecting the rate capability and long-term cycling stability.