Graphene/Ta2O5 co‐coating to improve the electrochemical performance of cathode material LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 for lithium‐ion batteries

The cycling and rate capabilities of LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 (NCM523) cathode material under high cut‐off voltage (≥4.5 V) and high current density have attracted much attention. However, the material‘s insufficient intrinsic electronic/ion conductivity and interface instability are still key issues restricting its electrochemical performance.In this paper, a graphene/Ta2O5 co‐coating layer is successfully fabricated on the surface of NCM523 to form a cathode material of GTa‐NCM523 to enhance both the electron and lithium‐ion transport during cathode operation. The GTa‐NCM523 cathode material achieves a discharge specific capacity of 147.4 mAh g−1 after 600 cycles at a voltage of 3.0–4.5 V and a rate of 1 C (180 mA g−1) with a capacity retention rate of 81.4 %. In contrast, the uncoated NCM523 only retains 63.2 % of its capability. At an elevated rate of 10 C (1800 mA g−1), the GTa‐NCM523 can achieve a discharge‐specific capacity of up to 113.5 mAh g−1, which is 43.7 % higher than the uncoated NCM523. The co‐coating layer can inhibit HF erosion and accelerate the movement of lithium‐ions and electrons, which account for the superior electrochemical characteristics of the co‐coating layer comprised of graphene and Ta2O5. Graphene/Ta2O5 co‐coating is used to enhance the electrochemical performance of lithium‐ion cathode material LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 (NCM523). The graphene/Ta2O5 co‐coated sample can effectively inhibit the erosion of HF in the electrolyte while improving the ion and electron transmission of the cathode material. The cycle and rate performance of co‐coated sample is significantly improved compared to uncoated sample.