Degradation Mechanisms and Mitigation Strategies of Nickel-Rich NMC-Based Lithium-Ion Batteries

Tianyu Li; Xiao-Zi Yuan; Lei Zhang; Datong Song; Kaiyuan Shi; Christina Bock

doi:10.1007/s41918-019-00053-3

Electrochemical Energy Reviews ›› 2019, Vol. 3 ›› Issue (1) : 43 -80. DOI: 10.1007/s41918-019-00053-3

Review Article

Degradation Mechanisms and Mitigation Strategies of Nickel-Rich NMC-Based Lithium-Ion Batteries

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¹Energy, Mining and Environment Research Center, National Research Council Canada, 4250 Wesbrook Mall, V6T 1W5, Vancouver, BC, Canada

²Automotive and Surface Transportation Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, 75 Boulevard de Mortagne, J4B 6Y4, Boucherville, QC, Canada

³Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Rd, V8W 3V6, Victoria, BC, Canada

^c lei.zhang@nrc.gc.ca

Tianyu Li

received his Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Materials Science at Nanjing University. He is currently working toward a Ph.D. degree in chemistry at the University of Victoria, specializing in the microfluidic devices for online detection of alcohol electrooxidation with Raman spectroscopy. He worked as a co-op student researcher at National Research Council Canada.

Dr. Xiao-Zi Yuan

is a Research Officer at the Energy, Mines and Environment (EME) Research Centre of the National Research Council Canada (NRC). Dr. Yuan received her B.S. and M.Sc. in Corrosion and Protection from Nanjing University of Technology in 1991 and 1994, respectively, and her Ph.D. in Material Science from Shanghai Jiaotong University in 2003. Beginning in 2004, she carried out a 3-year postdoctoral research program supported by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC). Since 2007, Dr. Yuan has been working with NRC. Her research interests include PEM fuel cells, Li-ion batteries, Zn/Li air batteries, and other types of electrochemical devices and energy storage systems. Her research areas range from cell design, electrode material and structure to cell testing, diagnosis and durability. In 2014 and 2016, Dr. Yuan was listed as a Highly Cited Researcher by Thomson Reuters under the Engineering Section and World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds.

Lei Zhang

is currently a Senior Research Officer at Energy, Mining and Environment (EME) of National Research Council Canada (NRC), a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) and a member of the NSERC Industrial R&D Fellowships College of Reviewers. Lei received her first Master’s degree in Materials Chemistry (1993) from Wuhan University and her second Master’s degree in Physical Chemistry (2000) from Simon Fraser University, Canada. Lei’s main research interests include advanced materials and electrochemical energy technologies in the area of PEM fuel cell electrocatalysis, supercapacitors, metal-air batteries and Li-ion batteries. She has co-authored more than 200 publications (> 16300 citations).

Datong Song

obtained his Ph.D. in Computational Mechanics from Jilin University in 1994. Currently, he is a senior research officer at Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre, National Research Council (NRC) of Canada. He has more than 20-year experience in mechanical engineering, fuel cell modeling and optimization, and energy storage modeling and analysis. Prior to joining NRC, he was a professor in the Department of Mechanics, Jilin University, Jilin, China. His research interests cover mechanical dynamics, vibration and stress analysis, modeling simulation for fuel cells and batteries.

Kaiyuan Shi

is currently an Assistant Research Officer at Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre, National Research Council Canada. Prior to this, he worked as a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Chemical Engineering at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) after securing his Ph.D. degree from McMaster University. His research is mainly focused on developing advanced materials for electrochemical energy storage, including supercapacitors, Li-ion capacitors, fuel cells and Li-ion batteries. Besides, he has conducted substantive research on capacitive deionization, steels and cast irons, surface cladding and fatigue analysis of metals.

Christina Bock

is a Senior Research Officer at the Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre, of the National Research Council Canada in Ottawa. She is the leader of the Energy Storage Materials and Formulation Team and also the program technical leader of NRC’s Energy Storage for Grid Security and Modernization Program. She has over 25 years of experience in electrochemistry and materials research for energy storage, energy conversion and the environment.

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Abstract

Abstract

The demand for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with high mass-specific capacities, high rate capabilities and long-term cyclabilities is driving the research and development of LIBs with nickel-rich NMC (LiNi_xMn_yCo_1−x−yO₂, $x \geqslant 0.5$) cathodes and graphite (Li_xC₆) anodes. Based on this, this review will summarize recently reported and widely recognized studies of the degradation mechanisms of Ni-rich NMC cathodes and graphite anodes. And with a broad collection of proposed mechanisms on both atomic and micrometer scales, this review can supplement previous degradation studies of Ni-rich NMC batteries. In addition, this review will categorize advanced mitigation strategies for both electrodes based on different modifications in which Ni-rich NMC cathode improvement strategies involve dopants, gradient layers, surface coatings, carbon matrixes and advanced synthesis methods, whereas graphite anode improvement strategies involve surface coatings, charge/discharge protocols and electrolyte volume estimations. Electrolyte components that can facilitate the stabilization of anodic solid electrolyte interfaces are also reviewed, and trade-offs between modification techniques as well as controversies are discussed for a deeper understanding of the mitigation strategies of Ni-rich NMC/graphite LIBs. Furthermore, this review will present various physical and electrochemical diagnostic tools that are vital in the elucidation of degradation mechanisms during operation to supplement future degradation studies. Finally, this review will summarize current research focuses and propose future research directions.

Graphic Abstract

The demand for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with high mass specific capacities, high rate capabilities and longterm cyclabilities is driving the research and development of LIBs with nickel-rich NMC (LiNi_xMn_yCo_1−x−yO₂, x ≥ 0.5) cathodes and graphite (Li_xC₆) anodes. Based on this, this review will summarize recently reported and widely recognized studies of the degradation mechanisms of Ni-rich NMC cathodes and graphite anodes. And with a broad collection of proposed mechanisms on both atomic and micrometer scales, this review can supplement previous degradation studies of Ni-rich NMC batteries. In addition, this review will categorize advanced mitigation strategies for both electrodes based on different modifications in which Ni-rich NMC cathode improvement strategies involve dopants, gradient layers, surface coatings, carbon matrixes and advanced synthesis methods, whereas graphite anode improvement strategies involve surface coatings, charge/discharge protocols and electrolyte volume estimations. Electrolyte components that can facilitate the stabilization of anodic solid-electrolyte interfaces (SEIs) are also reviewed and tradeoffs between modification techniques as well as controversies are discussed for a deeper understanding of the mitigation strategies of Ni-rich NMC/graphite LIBs. Furthermore, this review will present various physical and electrochemical diagnostic tools that are vital in the elucidation of degradation mechanisms during operation to supplement future degradation studies. Finally, this review will summarize current research focuses and propose future research directions.

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Tianyu Li, Xiao-Zi Yuan, Lei Zhang, Datong Song, Kaiyuan Shi, Christina Bock. Degradation Mechanisms and Mitigation Strategies of Nickel-Rich NMC-Based Lithium-Ion Batteries. Electrochemical Energy Reviews, 2019, 3(1): 43-80 DOI:10.1007/s41918-019-00053-3