Surface engineering of active materials

J. Power Sources 2015, 274, 1254

Chem. Mater. 2018, 30, 8190

Inorganic SE materials have narrow intrinsic electrochemical windows, which provokes the need of the passivation of SEs for the reversible operation of all-solid-state batteries. In particular, the adoption of conventional Li_xMO₂ (M = Ni, Co, Mn, Al) cathode materials to all-solid-state Li-ion or Li batteries (ASLBs) suffers from huge interfacial resistances. In-depth understanding on the evolution at the electrode−SE interfaces is required and imperative for the practical development of high performance ASLBs.

Ni-rich layered oxide cathode materials

Adv. Energy Mater. 2020, 10, 1903360

Han et al. 2020. (Submitted)

Ni-rich layered oxide cathode materials (LiMO₂, M = Ni, Co, Mn, Al) were susceptible to severe disintergration of the secondary particles even at the 

initial charge and discharge due to anisotropic volumetric strains, which led to poor electrochemical performance of low ICE and degradation of cycle 

retention. In this regard, recently emerging research directions for advanced types of cathodes and SEs are highly pursued.

Solution processable solid electrolytes

Adv. Mater. 2016, 28, 1874

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2016, 55, 9634

Nano Lett. 2017, 17, 3013

Nano Lett. 2020, 20, 4337

Our group develops solution processable SEs for surface coating of active materials in ASBs. The homogeneous SE solutions formed by solution process 

could be used for direct SE coatings on active materials or the infiltration of slurry-cast porous electrodes used in conventional LIBs. Solution process 

offers the intimate ionic contacts between active materials and SE, thereby enhanced electrochemical performance of ASBs. Furthermore, solution

process enables the scalable process of cell fabrication for ASBs.