Eco-Friendly Fabrication of NCM811 Cathodes with Alcohol-Based\nDispersion of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for Lithium-Ion Battery\nApplication

Single-walled\ncarbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are promising conductive\nadditives that enhance the performance of Li-ion batteries (LIBs).\nHowever, their eco-friendly integration into LIB cathodes is hindered\nby the challenges of debundling and dispersion in nontoxic solvents.\nHerein, we report the use of an SWCNT dispersion in an alcoholic solvent\nwithout a dispersant to fabricate high-performance LIB cathodes. Functionalized\nSWCNTs with abundant hydroxyl groups were dispersed in ethyl cellulose\n(EC) in propylene glycol methyl ether and utilized as conductive binders\nin LIB cathodes. Although EC is stiff, the EC/SWCNT composite electrodes\nare flexible, making them suitable for binder systems in LIBs. LiNi<sub>0.8</sub>Co<sub>0.1</sub>Mn<sub>0.1</sub>O<sub>2</sub> (NCM811)-based\nLIB cathodes incorporating SWCNTs exhibited superior electrochemical\nperformance to those employing conventional carbon black additives.\nThis eco-friendly approach yielded stable retention (approximately\n78% of the initial capacity, even after 150 cycles), cycling stability,\nand excellent rate capability. The proposed method for eco-friendly\nalcohol-based fabrication of LIB cathodes with functionalized SWCNTs\ncan promote a sustainable future for battery technology.