Unveiling and Amplifying the Benefits of Carbon-Coated Aluminum Current Collectors for Sustainable LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ Cathodes

Implementing aqueous electrode processing for lithium-ion cathodes is one of the key steps toward the achievement of environmentally benign battery production and of utmost importance in light of their rapidly growing relevance for electric vehicles. Toward this imperative necessity, we present herein a sophisticated approach, specifically addressing the remaining challenges encountered after establishing the aqueous processing of the high-voltage LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LNMO). This material is, in fact, considered the most promising for the realization of cobalt-free next generation lithium-ion cathodes. To achieve positive electrode tapes readily available for large-scale, high-energy lithium-ion batteries, a carbon-coated current collector has been used, which provides functional groups to cross-link the electrode coating layer to the underlying aluminum foil. The resulting electrodes demonstrate significant improvements concerning the electrode to current collector adhesion and their capacity retention. Through the further optimization of the initial formation cycles, these electrodes offer an electrochemical performance exceeding that of LNMO-based reference electrodes, comprising state-of-the-art poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVdF) as the binder.