Realization of high mass loading LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 Li-ion cathodes using water-soluble carrageenan as binder

• Published in: Journal of power sources 2024-05, Vol.603, p.234487, Article 234487
• Main Authors: Binder, Markus, Keller, Eva, Bresser, Dominic
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aqueous processing; Biopolymer; Cathode; LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4; Lithium-ion battery
• ISSN: 0378-7753; 1873-2755
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2024.234487

Cobalt-free LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LNMO) is considered a very promising cathode material candidate for more sustainable lithium-ion batteries, especially when processed into electrodes using water-soluble, fluorine-free binding agents. However, the realization of high-performance electrodes with commercially relevant active material mass loadings remained challenging so far, as such binders are commonly rather brittle and/or suffer from an insufficient electrochemical stability towards oxidation. Herein, we report the use of (citric acid cross-linked) carrageenan as alternative binder for LNMO cathodes, enabling the realization of electrodes with an active material mass loading as high as 20 mg cm−2. These electrodes show suitable mechanical, physicochemical, and electrochemical properties and offer very good cycle life and rate capability in half-cells graphite‖LNMO full-cells with a capacity retention of about 76% after 1000 cycles at 1C. A particular advantage of carrageenan is that it is already available at industrial scale, rendering its practical use rather straightforward. [Display omitted] •Fully aqueous processed graphite‖LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 lithium-ion cells.•Realization of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 electrodes with an areal capacity of 2.5 mAh cm−2.•First cycle Coulombic efficiency above 90%.•Capacity retention of >75% after 1000 cycles.