Artificial solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) for improved cycleability and safety of lithium-ion cells for EV applications

Since the SEI is one of the most vulnerable factors in the safety of the lithium-ion battery, improvement in the stability of the SEI will result in a safer battery with better performance characteristics. In this work an artificial SEI was formed on graphite and tin-copper anodes by electropainting and vacuum-insertion techniques. The artificial SEI was found to stabilize the structure of the Sn-Cu anode and led to a cycle life for the cell that was longer by a factor of five and irreversible capacity less than half that of the pristine anode.