Multi-channel VACNTs Enabling Efficient Electron Percolation Networks in Lithium-Ion Battery

Abstract Traditional carbon black conductive agents have become indispensable in lithium-ion batteries because of their low cost. However, their high load and conductive gap limit the performance of lithium-ion batteries. This study employs vertical gas-supply chemical vapor deposition to optimize the synthesis of ultralong arrayed carbon nanotubes, where the use of a high-expansion-ratio substrate and diatomic catalysts effectively prevented aggregation and premature growth termination. Replacing conventional conductive additives with carbon nanotubes established interconnected transport networks by a point-to-line connections, thereby bridging the conductive voids inherent to carbon black and endowing the electrodes with superior conductivity and efficient electron transfer. Consequently, even with a low conductive additive loading of only 4 wt %, both the organic- and aqueous-processed electrodes exhibit significantly enhanced lithium storage performance. Notably, the aqueous cathode delivers a high specific capacity of 169.48 mAh g–1 at 0.5 C and maintains a robust capacity retention of 93.1% over 500 cycles. This study highlights the superiority of arrayed carbon nanotubes in optimizing high-performance LFP cathodes and provides new insights into overcoming the limitations of conventional conductive agents in high-performance lithium-ion batteries.