Recent progress in using laser structured high energy electrode materials for next generation batteries

High production costs, restricted process reliability, small energy- and power-density, as well as relatively short operational lifetime are the main issues of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). LIBs with high-energy and high-power density can be realized by introducing a three-dimensional (3D) battery concept, which offers an improved electrolyte transfer in thick film electrodes and an improved lithium-ion transport kinetic. For developing next generation batteries including the 3D battery concept for large footprint areas, high energy materials such as nickel-enriched Lithium-Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt-Oxide (NMC) for cathodes and silicon-based anodes are introduced. The main drawbacks of these types of active materials regarding commercialization are their rather small lifetime due to enhanced mechanical degradation and their restricted chemical stability during electrochemical cycling. Ultrafast laser processing for establishing an advanced electrode design is flanked by an advanced material design, i.e., thin film passivation of active material for maintaining structural and chemical stability on particle level. Such thin film passivation is realized for anodes and cathodes by carbon- or alumina-coated silicon nanoparticles and LPO(Lithium-Phosphate)-coated NMC, respectively. ... mehrCyclic voltammetry is proving the successful combination of laser generated 3D electrode architecture and material concept while galvanostatic measurements reveal that batteries with structured electrodes provide an enhanced capacity retention and an improved lithium-ion diffusion kinetics compared to cells with unstructured electrodes.