Effect of Carbon Nanotube Dispersion on Electrochemical Behavior of the CNTs/LiCoO2 Composite Cathode

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are utilized as conductive additives in lithium ion battery. Particularly, the effect of surfactant type on the CNTs’ dispersion as well as correponding electrochemical behavior of LiCoO2 cathode is investigated. The results demonstrate that the dispersion of CNTs can be improved by both cationic and anionic surfactants, but the resulted electrodes show poor wettability with electrolyte. As a result, the electrochemical performance of corresponding LiCoO2-based cathode is worsened. Non-ionic polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) act as an effective dispersant for promoting the dispersion of CNTs and improving the electrochemical performance of LiCoO2 cathode. In addition, CNTs after ball-milling show damaged structure and more agglomerates, which are not suitable for forming a continuous conductive network.