Lyotropic Polymer Liquid Crystal Coating: Enabling Lamellar Ion-Conduction Pathways for Superior C-Rate Performance in NCM523 Cathodes
High C-rate capability and energy-density stability are crucial for advanced lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, these two characteristics typically conflict in conventional systems. Herein, a lyotropic polymer liquid crystal (LPLC)-based coating was applied to the surface of LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 (NCM523) cathode to construct a highly ion-conductive artificial cathode electrolyte interface (CEI) layer, aiming to supersede traditional CEIs for LIBs. The coating material, composed of an amphiphilic lithium-substituted alkyl-sulfonated polyimide (ASPI-Li) and an appropriate amount of organic liquid electrolyte, forms nanoscale ion conduction channels that act as an artificial CEI layer, providing enhanced local Li-ion activity at the NCM523 surface. The ion-conduction channels, regulated by the layered structure within the ASPI-Li coating layer, significantly accelerated ion-diffusion kinetics at the electrode/electrolyte interface, thereby delivering superior C-rate capability at ambient temperatures compared with conventional LIB systems. This work, guided by molecular design, provides insights into the development of next-generation artificial CEI layers for efficient and sustainable energy-storage systems.
Authors
- Kentaro Aoki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4148-6070)
- Nobuyuki Zettsu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2838-3165)
- Tsukasa Miyazaki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9124-2819)
- Athchaya Suwansoontorn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7576-2718)
- Shinichi Ikuta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9242-8666)
- Kei Nishikawa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7718-7606)
- Shigeru Kobayashi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4997-8782)
- Yuki Nagao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1249-440X)
- Tomohito Sudare (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9060-4291)
- Katsuhiro Yamamoto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1111-4735)
- Mitsuo Hara (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1829-5153)
- Hiroyuki Aoki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7521-2743)
- Shusaku Nagano (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3929-6377)
- Mayeesha Marium (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3366-0394)
- Taro Hitosugi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7795-0683)
- He Yang
Institutions
- Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JP)
- Rikkyo University (JP)
- Shinshu University (JP)
- Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JP)
- Nagoya Institute of Technology (JP)
- Kagawa University (JP)
- National Institute for Materials Science (JP)
- Kyoto University (JP)
- Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (JP)
- The University of Tokyo (JP)
Publication Details
- Journal
- ACS Applied Energy Materials
- Published
- 2025-11-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaem.5c02323
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00