Atomic layer deposition (ALD) provides a promising route for depositing uniform thin-film electrodes for Li-ion batteries. In this work, bis(methylcyclopentadienyl) nickel(II) (Ni(MeCp)₂) and bis(cyclopentadienyl) nickel(II) (NiCp₂) were used as precursors for NiO ALD. Oxygen plasma was used as a counter-reactant. The films were studied by spectroscopic ellipsometry, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray reflectometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results show that the optimal temperature for the deposition for NiCp₂ was 200–300 °C, but the optimal Ni(MeCp)₂ growth per ALD cycle was 0.011–0.012 nm for both precursors at 250–300 °C. The films deposited using NiCp₂ and oxygen plasma at 300 °C using optimal ALD condition consisted mainly of stoichiometric polycrystalline NiO with high density (6.6 g/cm³) and low roughness (0.34 nm). However, the films contain carbon impurities. The NiO films (thickness 28–30 nm) deposited on stainless steel showed a specific capacity above 1300 mAh/g, which is significantly more than the theoretical capacity of bulk NiO (718 mAh/g) because it includes the capacity of the NiO film and the pseudo-capacity of the gel-like solid electrolyte interface film. The presence of pseudo-capacity and its increase during cycling is discussed based on a detailed analysis of cyclic voltammograms and charge–discharge curves (U(C)).

Carbon-coated silica nanoparticles anchored on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (SiO2@C/MWNT composite) were synthesized via a simple and facile sol-gel method followed by heat treatment. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) studies confirmed densely anchoring the carbon-coated SiO2 nanoparticles onto a flexible MWNT conductive network, which facilitated fast electron and lithium-ion transport and improved structural stability of the composite. As prepared, ternary composite anode showed superior cyclability and rate capability compared to a carbon-coated silica counterpart without MWNT (SiO2@C). The SiO2@C/MWNT composite exhibited a high reversible discharge capacity of 744 mAh g−1 at the second discharge cycle conducted at a current density of 100 mA g−1 as well as an excellent rate capability, delivering a capacity of 475 mAh g−1 even at 1000 mA g−1. This enhanced electrochemical performance of SiO2@C/MWNT ternary composite anode was associated with its unique core-shell and networking structure and a strong mutual synergistic effect among the individual components.

In this work, a facile strategy to synthesize oxygen and nitrogen co-doped porous carbon (ONPC) is reported by one-step pyrolysis of waste coffee grounds. As-prepared ONPC possesses highly rich micro/mesopores as well as abundant oxygen and nitrogen co-doping, which is applied to sulfur hosts as lithium/sulfur batteries’ appropriate cathodes. In battery testing, the sulfur/oxygen and nitrogen co-doped porous carbon (S/ONPC) composite materials reveal a high initial capacity of 1150 mAh·g⁻¹ as well as a reversible capacity of 613 mAh·g⁻¹ after the 100th cycle at 0.2 C. Furthermore, when current density increases to 1 C, a discharge capacity of 331 mAh·g⁻¹ is still attainable. Due to the hierarchical porous framework and oxygen/nitrogen co-doping, the S/ONPC composite exhibits a high utilization of sulfur and good electrochemical performance via the immobilization of the polysulfides through strong chemical binding.

Lithium nickelate (LiNiO₂) and materials based on it are attractive positive electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries, owing to their large capacity. In this paper, the results of atomic layer deposition (ALD) of lithium–nickel–silicon oxide thin films using lithium hexamethyldisilazide (LiHMDS) and bis(cyclopentadienyl) nickel (II) (NiCp₂) as precursors and remote oxygen plasma as a counter-reagent are reported. Two approaches were studied: ALD using supercycles and ALD of the multilayered structure of lithium oxide, lithium nickel oxide, and nickel oxides followed by annealing. The prepared films were studied by scanning electron microscopy, spectral ellipsometry, X-ray diffraction, X-ray reflectivity, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and selected-area electron diffraction. The pulse ratio of LiHMDS/Ni(Cp)₂ precursors in one supercycle ranged from 1/1 to 1/10. Silicon was observed in the deposited films, and after annealing, crystalline Li₂SiO₃ and Li₂Si₂O₅ were formed at 800 °C. Annealing of the multilayered sample caused the partial formation of LiNiO₂. The obtained cathode materials possessed electrochemical activity comparable with the results for other thin-film cathodes.

Nowadays, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are one of the most convenient, reliable, and promising power sources for portable electronics, power tools, hybrid and electric vehicles. The characteristics of the positive electrode (cathode active material, CAM) significantly contribute to the battery’s functional properties. Applying various functional coatings is one of the productive ways to improve the work characteristics of lithium-ion batteries. Nowadays, there are many methods for depositing thin films on a material’s surface; among them, one of the most promising is atomic layer deposition (ALD). ALD allows for the formation of thin and uniform coatings on surfaces with complex geometric forms, including porous structures. This review is devoted to applying the ALD method in obtaining thin functional coatings for cathode materials and includes an overview of more than 100 publications. The most thoroughly investigated surface modifications are lithium cobalt oxide (LCO), lithium manganese spinel (LMO), lithium nickel-cobalt-manganese oxides (NCM), lithium-nickel-manganese spinel (LNMO), and lithium-manganese rich (LMR) cathode materials. The most studied processes of deposition are aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂) films. The primary purposes of such studies are to find the synthesis parameters of films, to find the optimal coating thickness (e.g., ~1–2 nm for Al₂O₃, ~1 nm for ZrO₂, <1 nm for TiO₂, etc.), and to reveal the effect of the coating on the electrochemical parameters of batteries. The review summarizes synthesis conditions, investigation results of deposited films on CAMs and positive electrodes and some functional effects observed due to films obtained by ALD on cathodes.