Uniform amorphous carbon coating enhances electrochemical performance of graphite anode

Abstract

Cycling and rate performance of natural graphite is still limited by the sluggish kinetics of lithium ions, which can be improved by surface modifications in previous research. Among these methods, amorphous carbon coating has been proved to be mature and efficient. However, the significance of coating uniformity in relation to solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) has been largely overlooked. In this study, the uniformity of amorphous carbon coating is adjusted by the particle size of pitch. When discharged-charged at 1C, graphite half-cells with such uniform coating show 90.3% of the capacity at 0.1C, while that is 82.1% for non-uniform coating. Additionally, improved initial coulombic efficiency and cycling stability are demonstrated. These can be attributed to graphite anodes featuring a uniform carbon coating that promotes effective and homogeneous LiF formation within the inorganic matrix. This leads to the establishment of a stabilized SEI, confirmed by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). This work provides valuable reference into the rational control of graphite interfaces for high electrochemical performance.

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