Analysis of Solid Electrolyte Interphase in Mn-Based Cathode/Graphite Li-Ion Battery with Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy

Solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and Mn deposition formed on capacity-degraded graphite electrodes in commercially available Mn-based/Graphite lithium ion batteries were characterized using glow discharge-optical emission spectroscopy (GD-OES). The depth profile of the whole electrode showed a homogeneous distribution of Li and Mn except for the surface region at the initial state. With the progress of degradation, Li and Mn concentrations increased inhomogeneously in the depth-direction of the electrode; the Li and Mn concentrations were high in the outer layer and decreased with depth to the current collector in the degraded electrodes. The SEI layer deposited on the electrode surface was separately analyzed in detail. The GD-OES surface profile was explained by comparing to the XPS analysis results. The amount of Li deposited on the electrode surface was almost constant with the capacity degradation, though the Li concentration in the whole electrode increased along with the capacity degradation. In contrast, the amount of Mn deposition increased with the capacity degradation both in the surface deposition layer and in the whole electrode. (C) 2014 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.