A Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode with Enhanced Wettability toward an Electrolyte Fabricated by a Fast Light Curing of Photoactive Slurry

In an Li-ion battery, the ability of the electrolyte to wet the electrode is related to the capacity and high rate discharge performance of the battery. Poor wettability can lead to low capacity utilization of the electrode, increased resistance, and even safety problems. Currently, the primary manufacturing process of the electrode is based on the slurry technology; however, the electrode prepared using this method is difficult to be wetted by the electrolyte. In this study, ethylene carbonate/dimethyl carbonate (EC/DMC) (3:7 by volume) has been used as the electrolyte solvent instead of NMP, and the electrode is prepared by photopolymerization. This method contributes to the wetting and ion transport of the electrode. The LFP|LiPF6-3EC/7DMC|Li semicell was cycled for 100 cycles at a surface current of 0.5 mA cm–2, with a capacity retention of 90%. This new electrode construction technology provides a new idea for the process design of lithium-ion batteries.