Investigating an Energy Efficient Polyacrylonitrile-Based Carbon Coating on the Performance of Ni-Rich NMC Cathode

Abstract

Due to its high specific capacity, nickel (Ni)-rich nickel–manganese–cobalt (NMC) is considered one of the most promising cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, its use is limited by poor electrical conductivity and stability issues, such as structural degradation and capacity fading during prolonged cycling. Carbon coating is an effective strategy to enhance the performance of high-Ni NMCs. This study introduces the use of polyacrylonitrile (PAN), a widely utilized industrial material, as a carbon precursor in a facile and energy-efficient coating process. The process involves immersing the NMC cathode material in a solution of PAN in dimethylformamide (DMF), followed by drying at 100°C, and annealing at 260°C for 4 h in air, which is performed at considerably lower temperatures compared to similar reports. The LIB half-cell, utilizing the cathode fabricated from the resulting carbon-coated NMC, demonstrates an average specific capacity of 150.46 mAh g⁻¹ over 130 cycles, representing a 7% improvement compared to uncoated material. The choice of materials and process conditions makes this approach scalable, cost-effective, and time-efficient, eliminating the need for high-temperature annealing steps while enhancing the performance of Ni-rich NMC cathode materials.