Comparative X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Study of the SEI and CEI in Three Different Lithium Ion Cell Formats

The solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) of three lithium ion cell formats, i.e., coin, lab-scale pouch and multi-layer pouch, are compared. Half the cells are additionally dried prior to electrolyte filling and cycling. The highest water content per cell, determined by Karl Fischer titration, is found for lab-scale pouch cells due to their disadvantageous ratio of cell housing area to electrode area. The water content influences the performance during electrochemical formation as well as the impedance. This is linked to increasing lithium fluoride concentration, as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. For dried cells, this is not the case because there is less conducting salt hydrolysis. The CEI thickness decreases for dried pouch cells, while the organic SEI thickness increases in all cell formats for dried cells. It is concluded that the initial thickness of the porous organic SEI depends on the insulation of the dense inorganic SEI close to the electrode surface. Organic species are more likely to contribute to negative electrode passivation when the extent of conducting salt hydrolysis is low. For coin cells, the presence of atmospheric gases during formation results in thicker SEI and CEI, no matter whether cells are additionally dried.