Pukyong National University

Pukyong National University Develops Interface Control Technology for Next-Generation All-Solid-State Battery Cathodes

- Research by Professor Oh Pil-geon’s Team Published in Chemical Engineering Journal, a Leading Chemistry Journal

Pukyong National University (President Bae Sang-hoon) announced that a research team led by Professor Oh Pil-geon from the Department of Nano Fusion Engineering has developed a new interface control technology for cathodes used in next-generation all-solid-state batteries.

The team’s recent study focused on the interface characteristics of single-crystal cathode active material NCM811 for sulfide-based all-solid-state batteries. The research findings were published in the <Chemical Engineering Journal> (Impact Factor: 13.3), a leading international journal in the field of chemistry.

While lithium-ion batteries, currently the most widely used secondary batteries, rely on volatile liquid electrolytes and pose safety risks, all-solid-state batteries using sulfide-based solid electrolytes are emerging as a promising alternative. However, commercialization of these batteries has been hindered by the unstable interface between the sulfide electrolyte and the cathode active material.

In their paper titled “Tailoring the cathode-electrolyte interface in high-nickel single crystal cathodes for improved ionic transport in sulfide-based all-solid-state batteries,” published in the Chemical Engineering Journal, Professor Oh Pil-geon’s team reported that a simple surface treatment using boric acid (H₃BO₃) significantly mitigated the unstable electrochemical side reactions typically observed at the interface between cathode active materials and sulfide-based electrolytes.

By applying a boric acid treatment combined with an annealing process to the surface of single-crystal NCM811―a promising high-energy-density cathode material―the researchers successfully suppressed side reactions with sulfide electrolytes and enhanced lithium-ion mobility on the material’s surface.

Professor Oh Pil-geon stated, “This study is expected to contribute to the commercialization of all-solid-state batteries by significantly improving the structural stability of cathode materials and enhancing cycle performance.” <Pukyong Today>