Ultrathin coatings on nano-LiCoO2 for Li-ion vehicular applications.

To deploy Li-ion batteries in next-generation vehicles, it is essential to develop electrodes with durability, high energy density, and high power. Here we report a breakthrough in controlled full-electrode nanoscale coatings that enables nanosized materials to cycle with durable high energy and remarkable rate performance. The nanoparticle electrodes are coated with Al(2)O(3) using atomic layer deposition (ALD). The coated nano-LiCoO(2) electrodes with 2 ALD cycles deliver a discharge capacity of 133 mAh/g with currents of 1400 mA/g (7.8C), corresponding to a 250% improvement in reversible capacity compared to bare nanoparticles (br-nLCO), when cycled at this high rate. The simple ALD process is broadly applicable and provides new opportunities for the battery industry to design other novel nanostructured electrodes that are highly durable even while cycling at high rate.