Two-Step Atmospheric RF-Microplasma Synthesis of Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode

To address the increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries for use in energy storage applications, such as electric vehicles, there is a need to make the cathode synthesis process less energy intensive, as the current method requires a sintering temperature of 650 – 950 °C for up to 12 hours. Radiofrequency (RF) microplasma setups provide an avenue to approach this problem by providing a tunable system that can be operated under atmospheric conditions, with a more efficient transfer of energy in the plasma setup as compared to a thermal furnace. Through an RF-microplasma setup, nickel, manganese, and cobalt (NMC) particles were produced from a metal acetate solution under a plasma assisted chemical vapor synthesis. These produced particles were then sintered for less time and under a lower temperature than traditional cathode synthesis methods, to produce a lithiated NMC type cathode. The product was examined physiochemically and electrochemically to examine its structure and functionality. The produced product was reversibly cycled over 60 times with a peak specific capacity around 150 mAh/g, and with future process refinement could meet the current capacity standards set by more established synthetic routes