Roll-To-Roll Atomic Layer Deposition Of Titania Nanocoating On Thermally Stabilizing Lithium Nickel Cobalt Manganese Oxide Cathodes For Lithium Ion Batteries

Conformal coating of ceramic layers (nm-thick) on Ni-rich layered cathode materials is an effective strategy for improving high-temperature longevity of Li-ion batteries (LIBs). In this work, we develop a roll-to-roll atomic layer deposition (R2R ALD) apparatus for growing uniform nanolayers of TiO2. We explore the effect of ALD parameters (temperature: 120-180 degrees C and line speed: 2-40 mm s(-1)) on the TiO2 surface coating and subsequently investigate the electrochemical performance of the as-prepared cathodes. The capacity retention of TiO2 -coated porous electrodes is substantially improved compared to that of the pristine cathode material for high-temperature cycling. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy confirms that the ALD-TiO2 coating suppresses the undesired side reactions initiated at the electrode/electrolyte interface, reduces charge transfer resistance, and ultimately facilitates the Li+ transport through the composite cathode nanostructure. The robust design of the ALD-TiO2 cathode material enables high-temperature operation (>55 degrees C) with enhanced specific capacity, superior rate capability, excellent cyclability, and ultra-high coulombic efficiency within a wide potential window (3.0-4.35 . The R2R ALD technique developed in this work paves the way for large-scale fabrication of ceramic-coated cathode sheets with a production rate reaching 2.4 m min(-1) for a continuous coating operation.