Self-terminated
oligomer additives synthesized from bismaleimide
and barbituric acid derivatives improve the safety and performance
of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). This study investigates the interface
interaction of these additives and the cathode material. Two additives
were synthesized by Michael addition (additive A) and aza-Michael
addition (additive B). The electrochemical performances of bare and
modified LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2 (NMC622) materials are studied. The cycling stability and rate capability
of NMC622 considerably improve on surface modification with additive
B. According to the differential scanning calorimetry results, the
exothermic heat of fully deliathiated NMC622 is dramatically decreased
through surface modification with both additives. The electrode surface
kinetics and interface interaction phenomena of the additives are
determined through surface plasma resonance measurements in operando
gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy (GCMS) and in situ soft
X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The binding rate constant of
additive B onto NMC622 particles is 1.2–2.3 × 104 M–1 s–1 in the temperature range
of 299–311 K, which is ascribed to the strong binding affinity
toward the electrode surface. This affinity enhances Li+ diffusion, which allows the electrode modified by additive B to
provide high electrochemical performance with superior thermal stability.
In operando GCMS reveals that gas evolution due to the electrolyte
degradation at the NMC622 surface contributes to safety hazards in
the bare NMC622 material. In situ soft XAS indicates the occurrence
of structural transformation in the bare NMC622 material after it
is fully charged and at elevated temperatures. The NMC622 material
is stabilized by incorporating additives. The unique performance of
additive B can be attributed to its linear structure that allows superior
electrode surface adhesion compared with that of additive A. Therefore,
this study presents an optimized working principle of self-terminated
oligomers, which can be developed and applied to improve the safety
and performance of LIBs.