Investigation of facial B2O3 surface modification effect on the cycling stability and high-rate capacity of LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 cathode

A LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 (NCM111) cathode with B2O3 surface modification was prepared in a facial synthesis method using H3BO3 as a modifier precursor. Both TEM and XPS measurements demonstrate that a thin layer of amorphous B2O3 is successfully coated on the surface of 1B(2)O(3)@NCM111 particles. XRD, SEM and TEM testing results show that the morphology and lattice structure present little change after coating. The B2O3 surface modified 1B(2)O(3)@NCM111 shows 43% improved high-rate (at 5C rate) discharge performance and enhanced cycling stability (with about 92% and 86% capacity retention at 1C and 2C rates after 50 and 100 cycles measurements) compared to the pristine NCM111. EIS and GITT results also present that the 1B(2)O(3)@NCM111 electrode with B2O3 surface modification retains higher Li+ chemical diffusion coefficient than the pristine NCM111 even after 50 charge/discharge cycles at 1C rate. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.