Eco-friendly process toward collector- and binder-free, high-energy density electrodes for lithium-ion batteries

The preparation of collector- and binder-free, high-energy density cathodes made from carbon-coated LiFePO4 (C-LFP) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) is reported here. These electrodes were developed using a simple to execute, two-step, eco-friendly process. The C-LFP and the SWNT were dispersed in IPA and water, respectively, and then filtered. Electrodes with active material loading as high as 95 wt% were achieved. These electrodes exhibit high specific capacities of 144 mAh/g of electrode at C/10 rate. Additionally, the specific gravimetric power and energy of the C-LFP/SWNT self-standing electrodes surpassed that of the supported electrodes at high C-rate. Finally, the successful preparation of such high-energy density electrodes may provide a step toward the US DOE targets of batteries for electric vehicles for the year 2022.