Enhanced Electrochemical Performance of Ni‐Rich NCM811 Cathodes via Uric Acid‐Derived Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Coating for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Abstract The nickel‐rich layered Li[Ni 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 ]O 2 , popularly known as NCM811, is considered a high‐performance cathode material in lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) due to its high specific capacity and energy density. However, because of its poor structural stability, it suffers from long‐run performance in LIBs. The surface coating technique can enhance the performance of the NCM811 cathode by preventing its surface degradation during prolonged contact with electrolytes. Herein, we report a uric acid‐derived nitrogen‐doped carbon‐coated NCM811 cathode to enhance the cathodic performance. The materials were prepared by a facile one‐step calcination in which different weights of uric acid are mixed well with NCM811 through ball milling followed by sintering. The XRD peaks confirm the formation of a pure phase in both the bare and modified NCM811 materials. The morphological characteristics and coating thickness are observed by FE‐SEM and FE‐TEM analysis, respectively. Electrochemical characterizations such as galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD), cyclic performance, and rate capability studies show that the 0.1‐NCM811 material can effectively tailor the electrochemical performance of the cathode in LIBs. The capacity retention of 0.1‐NCM811 material is 92.7% and 85.8% at 100 cycles in 0.1 C and 300 cycles in 1 C, respectively. The improved electrochemical performance of coated NCM811 cathode is associated with the effective coating of nitrogen‐doped carbon, which can hinder the electrode dissolution process while amplifying the ionic conductivity.