• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.22-30
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• 2024

This study reports a direct growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the surface of LiCoO₂ (LCO) powders to apply as highly efficient cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIB). The CNT synthesis was performed using a thermal chemical vapor deposition apparatus with temperatures from 575 to 625 ℃. Ferritin molecules as growth catalyst of CNTs were mixed in deionized (DI) water with various concentrations from 0.05 to 1.0 mg/mL. Then, the LCO powders was dissolved in the ferritin solution at a ratio of 1g/mL. To obtain catalytic iron nanoparticles on the LCO surface, the LCO-ferritin suspension was dropped in silicon dioxide substrates and calcined under air at 550℃. Subsequently, the direct growth of CNTs on LCO powders was performed using a mixture of acetylene (10 sccm) and hydrogen (100 sccm) for 10 min. The growth behavior was characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, Raman scattering spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. The optimized condition yielding high structural quality and amount of CNTs was 600 ℃ and 0.5 mg/mL. The obtained materials will be developed as cathode materials in LIB.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.117-123
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• 2021

In this study, the composite was prepared by mixing SiOx, soft carbon, and carbon black and the electrochemical properties of lithium ion battery were investigated. The content of SiOx added to improve the capacity of the soft carbon anode material was varied to 0, 6, 8, 10, 20 wt%, and carbon black was added as a structural stabilizer for reducing the volume expansion of SiOx. The physical properties of prepared CB/SiOx/C composite were investigated through XRD, SEM, EDS and powder resistance analysis. In addition, the electrochemical properties of prepared composite were observed through the charge/discharge capacity, rate and impedance analysis of the lithium ion battery. The prepared CB/SiOx/C composite had an inner cavity capable of mitigating the volume expansion of SiOx by adding carbon black. The formed internal cavity showed a low initial efficiency when the SiOx content was less than 8 wt%, and low cycle stability when the content of SiOx was less than 20 wt%. The CB/SiOx/C composite containing 10 wt% of SiOx showed an initial discharge capacity of 537 mAh/g, a capacity retention rate of 88%, and a rate of 79 at 2C/0.1C. SiOx was added to improve the capacity of the soft carbon anode material, and carbon black was added as a structural stabilizer to buffer the volume change of SiOx. In order to use the CB/SiOx/C composite as a high-efficiency anode material, the mechanism of the optimal SiOx and the use of carbon black as a structural stabilizer was discussed.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.131-137
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• 2012

Polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (Ppy) hollow sphere structures with controlled shell thicknesses can be easily synthesized than those of using a layer-by-layer method for cathode active material of lithium-ion batteries. Polystyrene (PS) core was synthesized by emulsion polymerization using an anion surfactant. The shell thicknesses of PANI and Ppy were controlled by amounts of aniline and pyrrole monomers. PS was removed by an organic solution. This structure increased in contact with an electrolyte and a specific capacity in lithium-ion batteries. But polymers have disadvantages such as the difficult control of molecular weights and low densities. These disadvantages were completed by controlled shell thicknesses. The amount of aniline monomer increased from 1.2, 2.4, 3.6, 4.8 to 6.0 mL, and the shell thicknesses were 30.2, 38.0, 42.2, 48.2, and 52.4 nm, respectively. And the amount of pyrrole monomer was 0.6, 1.2, 2.4 and 3.6 mL, the shell thicknesses were 16.0, 22.0, 27.0 and 34.0 nm, respectively. In the cathode materials with controlled shell thicknesses, shell thicknesses of the PANI hollow spheres were 30.2, 42.2, and 52.4 nm, and discharge specific capacities of after 10 cycle were ~18, ~29, and ~62 mAh/g, respectively. The shell thicknesses of the Ppy hollow spheres were 16.0, 22.0, 27.0 and 34.0 nm, and discharge specific capacities of after 15 cycle were ~15, ~36, ~56, and ~77 mAh/g, respectively. Thus, shell thicknesses of PANI and Ppy increased, the specific capacities increased.

• Clean Technology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.77-84
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• 2018

In this study, $Li_4Ti_5O_{12}$ anode materials for lithium ion battery were synthesized by dry ball-mill method. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as a carbon source was added to improve electrochemical properties. When the PVC was added after $Li_4Ti_5O_{12}$ formation, the spinel structure was well synthesized and it was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) experiments. When the carbon material was added before the synthesis and the heat treatment was performed, it was confirmed that a material having a different crystal structure was synthesized even when a small amount of carbon material was added. In the case of $Li_4Ti_5O_{12}$ without the carbon material, the electrical conductivity value was about $10{\mu}S\;m^{-1}$, which was very small and similar to that of the nonconductor. As the carbon was added, the electrical conductivity was greatly improved and increased up to 10,000 times. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis showed that the size of semicircle corresponding to the resistance decreased with the carbon addition. This indicates that the resistance inside the electrode is reduced. According to the Cyclic voltammetry (CV) analysis, the potential difference between the oxidation peak and the reduction peak was reduced with carbon addition. This means that the rate of lithium ion insertion and deinsertion was increased. $Li_4Ti_5O_{12}$ with 9.5 wt% PVC added sample showed the best properties in rate capabilities of $180mA\;h\;g^{-1}$ at 0.2 C-rate, $165mA\;h\;g^{-1}$ at 0.5 C-rate, and $95.8mA\;h\;g^{-1}$ at 5 C-rate.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.264-269
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• 2010

$LiNi_{0.5}Mn_{0.3}Co_{0.2}O_2$ active material was prepared by simple-combustion method and investigated as the cathode material for li-ion battery. The structural characterization was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), respectively. The XRD patterns of $LiNi_{0.5}Mn_{0.3}Co_{0.2}O_2$ sample was indicated a phase of layered hexagonal structure. The size of particles has not uniform diameters ranging from 100 to 300 nm. The electrochemical performance of the $LiNi_{0.5}Mn_{0.3}Co_{0.2}O_2$ was measured by Cyclic Voltammetry and galvanostatics. The $LiNi_{0.5}Mn_{0.3}Co_{0.2}O_2$ shows the discharge capacity of ~162 mAh/g in the range of 2.8 to 4.3 V at the first cycle.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2015

$Li_4Ti_5O_{12}$ (LTO) have attracted much attention of researchers in the field of energy storage, because of their excellent stability for electric vehicle application. A main drawback of LTO is however their insulating nature due to the wide bandgap, which should be addressed to enhance the battery performance. In this study, we investigated the effect of water solubility of dopant precursor on the electrochemical characteristics of conducting LTO prepared by doping with $Cr^{3+}$ ions with the well-known wet-mixing method. The solubility of dopant precursor directly affected the morphology and the phase of doped LTO, and therefore their battery performance. In the case of employing the most soluble dopant precursor, $Cr(NO_3)_2$, the doped LTO demonstrated a markedly enhanced discharge capacity at high C-rate (130mAh/g @ 10C), which is about 2 times higher value than that of bare LTO.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.81-87
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• 2009

An indium-tin oxide (ITO) coated spinel manganese oxide (${LiMn_2}{O_4}$, LMO) is prepared and its high-temperature ($55^{\circ}C$) cycle performance and rate capability are examined. A severe electrolyte decomposition and film deposition is observed on the un-coated ${LiMn_2}{O_4}$ cathode, which leads to a significant electrode polarization and capacity fading. Such an electrode polarization is, however, greatly reduced for the ITO-coated (> 2 mol%) LMO cathode, which leads to an improved cycle performance. This can be rationalized by a suppression of electrolyte decomposition, which is in turn indebted to a decrease in the direct contact area between LMO and electrolyte. The suppression of film deposition on the ITO-coated LMO cathode is confirmed by infra-red spectroscopy. The rate capability is also improved by the surface coating, which may be resulted from a suppression of resistive film deposition and high electric conductivity of ITO itself.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2003

[ $LiNi_{1-x}Co_xO_2\;(x=0.0\~1.0)$ ] powders were synthesized by citrate method, and their crystal structures and electrochemical performance as the cathode material in Li secondary batteries were analyzed. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that all the samples carry a single phase regardless of the Co substitution. The results of Rietveld refinement suggested that the crystal structure of solid solutions varies according to the Co substitution. When the Co substitution is low $(x=0.3\~0.5)$, the solid solutions carry a cubic-like structure with a relatively small value in the ratio of lattice parameters (c/a). The solid solutions made with a higher Co substitution (x=0.7), however, exhibit a layered structure with a higher c/a ratio. This difference was also observed in the electrochemical voltage spectroscopy (EVS) profiles, whereby the Co component in scarcely substituted materials shows a charging reaction at $3.7V\;(vs.\;Li/Li^+)$, but in the heavily substituted ones at 3.92V.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.149-155
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• 2014

In this study, a positive-electrode material in a lithium secondary battery $Li[Ni_{0.575}Co_{0.1}Mn_{0.325}]O_2$ was synthesized as precursor by co-precipitation. Cathode material was synthesized by adding iron. The synthesized cathode material was analyzed by scanning electron microscope and x-ray diffraction. The analysis of x-ray diffraction showed that the a-axis and c-axis is increased by doping iron. And $I_{(003)}/I_{(104)}$ is increased and $I_{(006)}+I_{(102)}/I_{(101)}$ is decreased. Through this result, it was confirmed that the structural stability is improved. And impedance measurements show that the charge transfer resistance ($R_{ct}$) is lowered by doping iron. Consequently, electrochemical properties are improved by doping iron. In particular, the cycle characteristics are improved at a high temperature condition (328 K). Structural stabilities are contributing to the cycle properties.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.34-40
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• 2017

Electric double layer capacitors (EDLC: electric double layer capacitors) have drew attention as an energy storage device for the next generation because of their outstanding power capability and durability. But their usage is somewhat limited due to low energy density over secondary batteries. One of methods to improve the energy of EDLC is expanding the voltage window of cell operation by increasing the charge cut-off voltage. In this study, $SBP-BF_4$ (spirobipyrrolidinium tetrafluoroborate), $TEA-BF_4$ (tetraethylammonium tetraflouroborate) and $EMI-BF_4$ (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate) in AN (acetonitrile) were selected to evaluate the possibility of application at high voltage environment. The LSV (linear sweep voltammetry) measurements showed that the 1.5M SBP-BF4/AN electrolyte was stable over a wide potential window and showed the best electrochemical performance compared to other combinations of electrolytes at high voltage environments (over 3.0 V). Furthermore, TMSP (tris(trimethylsilyl) phosphite) was applied to 1.5M SBP-BF4/AN in order to maintain stable performance at high voltage for the long period of time. The electrolyte with TMSP additive showed the capacity retention of 93% after 10,000 cycles at 3.3 V.