Date of Graduation

5-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MSME)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Mechanical Engineering

Advisor/Mentor

Meng, Xiangbo

Committee Member

Walters, Keith

Second Committee Member

Wejinya, Uche C.

Keywords

Anode-free lithium-ion batteries; atomic layer deposition; copper current collector; energy storage; lithiophilic surface modification; silver-aluminum oxide

Abstract

This thesis presents a novel approach to enhance the performance and stability of anode-free lithium-ion batteries (AFLBs) by employing atomic layer deposition (ALD) to coat copper (Cu) current collectors with a silver-aluminum oxide (AgAlOx) layer. Leveraging the unique capabilities of ALD for precise and conformal deposition, the AgAlOx coating was achieved using triethyl phosphine-(6,6,7,7,8,8,8-heptafluoro-2,2-dimethyl-3,5-octanedionato)-silver(I) (Ag(fod)(PEt3)), trimethylaluminum (TMA), and de-ionized water (H2O) as precursors. This innovative coating method significantly enhanced the cycling stability and Coulombic efficiency (CE) of both Li||Cu and Cu||NMC811 cells, as evidenced by improved electrochemical performance metrics. The AgAlOx layer effectively reduced nucleation overpotential and facilitated uniform lithium deposition, mitigating common issues such as non-uniform Li nucleation and excessive solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation. Electrochemical tests demonstrated a stable CE ~90% across various conditions for Cu@150_AgAlOx electrodes, with superior charge-discharge profiles and capacity retention compared to bare Cu electrodes. This study underscores the potential of ALD-AgAlOx coatings to address critical challenges in AFLBs, paving the way for high-energy density, safer, and more cost-effective energy storage solutions.

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