CO₂-etched porous graphene as an efficient conductive additive for LiNi₀.₈Co₀.₁Mn₀.₁O₂ batteries
摘要
Graphene (GN) is widely employed as a conductive additive in lithium-ion battery cathode materials due to its exceptional electrical conductivity. however, its layers are highly prone to agglomeration. This tendency to aggregate results in the formation of a dense conductive network, impeding lithium-ion migration and compromising the rate performance of the battery.This study reports a method for preparing porous graphene using CO₂ as a pore-forming agent and tests its electrochemical performance as a cathode conductive additive. Porous graphene obtained by etching GN at 1000 °C under a CO₂ atmosphere incorporates pores with diameters of 2–5 nm within its layers. These pores provide a rapid migration pathway for lithium ions, enhancing their diffusion rate and thereby improving the rate performance of the battery. Electrochemical tests demonstrate that the lithium ion diffusion coefficient of the LiNi₀.₈Co₀.₁Mn₀.₁O₂ (NCM811) cathode battery incorporating this porous graphene reaches 4.7 × 10⁻¹² cm² s⁻¹, representing a 5.6-fold improvement over the 8.3 × 10⁻¹³ cm² s⁻¹ value observed with conventional GN-added samples. At 5 C, the specific capacity reached 150 mAh g⁻¹, representing a 36% increase over the 110 mAh g⁻¹ achieved with conventional GN-added cathodes. To further enhance the rate performance of NCM811 batteries, a binary conductive additive comprising 5 wt% porous graphene and 5 wt% Super-P (SP) was employed, achieving a discharge specific capacity of up to 170 mAh g⁻¹ at 5 C. This study presents a straightforward method for synthesizing porous graphene and offers practical guidance for enhancing the rate performance of NCM811 batteries.