Rechargeable LiNi_0.65Co_0.15Mn_0.2O₂||Graphite Batteries Operating at −60 °C

Abstract

The rechargeability of contemporary lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is challenging at low temperatures, mainly due to the hurdles faced by graphite anodes. Herein, by exploiting the Li-solvent co-intercalation into graphite, its low-temperature rechargeability is boosted. Experimental characterizations aided by theoretical calculations demonstrate that the co-intercalation process is featured by low interfacial resistance with a small charge transfer activation energy (0.23 eV atom^-1 ) and an extremely low diffusion energy barrier (0.09 eV atom^-1 ) which leads to nearly temperature-independent diffusion coefficients of the solvated Li-ion in graphite, enabling graphite to be stably charged-discharged at -60 °C with 73.7 % of its room-temperature capacity. Consequently, the full-cell consisting of a LiNi_0.65 Co_0.15 Mn_0.2 O₂ cathode and a graphite anode shows impressive rechargeability under -60 °C. This work provides an alternative approach to develop low-temperature rechargeable LIBs.