Strategy for Long Cycling Performance of Graphite/LiNi_1/3Mn_1/3Co_1/3O₂ Full-Cell Through High-Efficiency Slurry Preparation

Abstract

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have a profound impact on our modern society because of its diverse applications. In the state-of-the-art battery technology, the procedure for slurry preparation remains an important challenge which is vital for electrochemical performance enhancement and usually exhibits higher cost. In this work, two procedures are designated for the preparation of LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 (NMC111) cathode slurry. In procedure A, a mixture of active material and conductive carbons are blended with an additional NMP solvent, while, in procedure B, the NMP is introduced after mixing in dry of active material and carbons. Half-cell prepared by the method A exhibited better capacity and cyclability, which delivered 158.8 mAh g−1 and retained 89.8% capacity compared to 151.2 mAh g−1 and 81.3% obtained by the method B at 0.1 C rate. Full-cell also showed its superior performance with a maximum capacity of 155.5 mAh g−1 and 93.9% retention after 100 cycles. In the rate capability test, the cells fabricated by method A could perform well up to 2 C while, for method B, the cell shows poor performance. These outstanding performances were explained by the small charge transfer resistance of the cathode-based method A due to the well-dispersed electrode compositions.