Progress in diamond-like carbon coatings for lithium-based batteries

NetZero drive is exploring new energy solutions around the globe. Carbon-based electrodes are receiving wider attention for energy storage applications. This work reviews the application of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings for lithium-based batteries (LBB). DLC atomic structure, the mechanisms at atomistic and microstructure levels, and the manufacturing of DLC coatings for LBB with plasma methods are explained. This work also describes the effects of DLC coating thickness, deposition temperature, coating architecture by layers, and doping on the performance of LBB. The application of DLC is reported to increase retention capacity by 40 % and cycle life by 400 % for LBB. This work emphasizes the full spectrum experimental study of process-structure-property blended with material informatics to develop high-performance DLC-based electrodes for LBB.