Stable cycling and low-temperature operation utilizing amorphous carbon-coated graphite anodes for lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

With the continuous expansion of the lithium-ion battery market, addressing the critical issues of stable cycling and low-temperature operation of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has become an urgent necessity. The high anisotropy and poor kinetics of pristine graphite in LIBs contribute to the formation of precipitated lithium dendrites, especially during rapid charging or low-temperature operation. In this study, we design a graphite coated with amorphous carbon (GC) through the Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) method. The coated carbon layer at the graphite interface exhibits enhanced reaction kinetics and expanded lithium-ion diffusion pathways, thereby reduction in polarization effectively alleviates the risk of lithium precipitation during rapid charging and low-temperature operation. The pouch cell incorporating GC‖LiCoO₂ exhibits exceptional durability, retaining 87% of its capacity even after 1200 cycles at a high charge/discharge rate of 5C/5C. Remarkably, at −20 °C, the GC-2 maintains a specific capacity of 163 mA h g⁻¹ at 0.5C, higher than that of pristine graphite (65 mA h g⁻¹). Even at −40 °C, the GC-2‖LiCoO₂ pouch cell still shows excellent capacity retention. This design realizes the practical application of graphite anode in extreme environments, and have a promising prospect of application.