Effects of La2O3/Li2O/TiO2-coating on electrochemical performance of LiCoO2 cathode

Conventional cathode material (LiCoO2) was modified by coating with a thin layer of La2O3/Li2O/TiO2 for improving its performance for lithium ion battery. The morphology and structure of the modified cathode material was characterized by SEM, XRD, and Auger electron spectroscopy. The performance of the cells with the modified cathode material was examined, including the cycling stability, the diffusion coefficient under different voltages, and the C-rate discharge. The results showed that the cell composed of the coated cathode material discharged at a large current density, and possesses a stable cycle performance in the range from 3.0 to 4.4 V. It was explained that the rate of Li ion diffusion increased in the cell while using La2O3/Li2O/TiO2-coated LiCoO2 as the cathode and the coating layer may act as a faster ion conductor (La2O3/Li2O/TiO2).