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    Cu/Cl杂质对再生LiFePO4正极材料性能影响的第一性原理研究

    First-Principles Study on the Effects of Cu/Cl Impurities on the Performance of Regenerated LiFePO4 Cathode Materials

    • 摘要: 在废旧磷酸铁锂电池(LiFePO4,LFP)直接修复再生过程中,通常会残留Cu、Cl等杂质,为探究将Cu、Cl杂质转化为有益共掺杂剂的可能性,采用密度泛函理论(Density Functional Theory,DFT)研究了Cu/Cl共掺杂对再生LFP的影响。结果表明,Cu/Cl共掺杂LFP正极材料的晶格常数和体积变化率均小于3%,且形成能较低(−1.27 eV),说明Cu/Cl共掺杂未破坏LFP的晶体结构,也满足热力学稳定性要求。Cu/Cl共掺杂在价带引入Cu 3d电子态,也促进了导带下移,使带隙从3.85 eV下降至1.36 eV,提高了材料的电子导电性。同时,Cu/Cl共掺杂降低了迁移能垒,说明共掺杂改善了LFP正极材料中锂离子的扩散性能。去锂化过程中,Cu/Cl共掺杂体系的去锂化电压上升,体积变化率下降,说明共掺杂提高了LFP正极材料的能量密度和循环稳定性。力学分析表明,Cu/Cl共掺杂能够显著提升LFP正极材料的弹性模量与整体刚度,改善材料的各向异性,有助于抑制微裂纹的产生。该研究为废旧LFP电池直接再生过程中的杂质调控及高性能再生正极材料设计提供了理论依据。

       

      Abstract: During the direct repair and regeneration of spent lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4, LFP) batteries, residual impurities such as Cu and Cl are difficult to remove completely and may affect the structural integrity, ion transport, and electrochemical performance of the regenerated cathodes. In this study, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to evaluate the feasibility of transforming residual Cu and Cl impurities into beneficial co-dopants, and to clarify their modulatory mechanisms in regenerated LFP in terms of structural stability, electron transport, Li-ion diffusion, delithiation behavior, and mechanical reliability. A Cu/Cl co-doped LFP model was constructed by substituting Cu for Fe and Cl for O, with a Li vacancy introduced for charge compensation, reflecting the possible defect configurations during impurity incorporation. Structural optimization results show that the co-doped system retains the olivine Pnma framework, and the variations in lattice parameters and cell volume are less than 3%, indicating that Cu/Cl co-doping does not cause severe lattice distortion or structural collapse. A calculated formation energy of −1.27 eV further demonstrates that the co-doped system is thermodynamically favorable. Electronic structure analysis reveals that Cu/Cl co-doping introduces Cu 3d states near the valence band maximum and promotes a downward shift of the conduction band, thereby narrowing the bandgap from 3.85 eV to 1.36 eV. The reduced bandgap and redistribution of electronic states near the Fermi level suggest weakened electron localization and enhanced electron transport capability in the co-doped system. Climbing image nudged elastic band (CI-NEB) calculations further reveal that the Li-ion migration energy barrier along the one-dimensional 010 channel decreases from 0.56 eV for pristine LFP to 0.31 eV for Cu/Cl co-doped LFP, indicating improved Li-ion diffusion kinetics. During delithiation, the average delithiation voltage increases from 3.42 V to 3.58 V, while the volume change is reduced to 2.09%, suggesting that Cu/Cl co-doping can simultaneously improve energy density and alleviate structural strain during charge/discharge cycling. Mechanical property calculations show that the bulk modulus, shear modulus, and Young′s modulus of the co-doped system are all increased, demonstrating enhanced resistance to compression, shear deformation, and elastic deformation. In addition, the decrease in the universal elastic anisotropy index indicates a more uniform mechanical response, which is beneficial for suppressing stress concentration and microcrack formation in regenerated LFP particles. Overall, Cu/Cl co-doping is theoretically feasible and can synergistically improve the electronic conductivity, Li-ion transport, structural stability, and mechanical reliability of LFP cathodes. These findings provide a theoretical basis for impurity regulation in the direct regeneration of spent LFP batteries and offer a practical strategy for converting unavoidable residual impurities into functional dopants for high-performance regenerated cathode materials.

       

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