Flour‐Infused Dry Processed Electrode Enhancing Lithium‐Ion Battery Performance

Abstract

AbstractElectrodes are vital for lithium‐ion battery performance. The primary method for large‐scale electrode production involves wet slurry casting methods, which encounter challenges related to solvent usage, energy consumption, and mechanical stability. Dry processed (DP) electrodes are a promising alternative but struggle with rate capability and mechanical properties. Here, an approach of incorporating 1 wt.% flour into DP electrodes (DP–1%F) through a binder fibrillation strategy is introduced, which enhances the mechanical strength, rate performance, and cycling stability of the electrodes. The cross‐linking of protein and starch in flour, along with the fibrillation of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), enable the DP–1%F electrode to exhibit robust mechanical properties and high flexibility. Additionally, the incorporation of flour makes the DP electrode primarily create large pores, reducing electrode tortuosity, thereby endowing the DP–1%F electrode with improved kinetic behavior. The robust mechanical properties and improved kinetic behavior suppress the development of irreversible phase transitions and intragranular/intergranular cracks. These characteristics led to the superior cycling stability of the DP–1%F electrodes with a capacity retention of 80.3% after 260 cycles at 2C and 4.5 V (LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2). The findings offer valuable insights for the development of high‐power, long‐life DP electrodes, addressing key challenges in lithium‐ion batteries.