Physical Delithiation of Epitaxial LiCoO₂ Battery Cathodes as a Platform for Surface Electronic Structure Investigation.

ABSTRACT: We report a novel delithiation process for epitaxial thin films of LiCoO₂(001) cathodes using only physical methods, based on ion sputtering and annealing cycles. Preferential Li sputtering followed by annealing produces a surface layer with a Li molar fraction in the range 0.5 < x < 1, characterized by good crystalline quality. This delithiation procedure allows the unambiguous identification of the effects of Li extraction without chemical byproducts and experimental complications caused by electrolyte interaction with the LiCoO₂ surface. An analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) provides a detailed description of the delithiation process and the role of O and Co atoms in charge compensation. We observe the

SUBMITTER: Salagre E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10401565 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature