Combining water-based CMC binders and ionic liquid electrolytes for eco-friendly and safer LFP batteries

The production of standard LFP electrodes involves the use of the toxic and costly solvent N-methylypyrrolidone (NMP) to dissolve polyvinylidenfluoride (PVDF), raising environmental and wellbeing concerns. This study advanced the use of water-based binders carboxymethylcellulose/styrene-butadiene rubber (CMC/SBR) as a replacement. Furthermore, compatibility with ionic liquid-based electrolytes, which potentially offer enhanced safety, were studied. LFP | Li half and LFP | LTO full cells assembled with an EC: DMC (1:1) + 1 M LiPF 6 electrolyte demonstrated a specific capacity of (115 ± 5) mAh g − 1 at a 1 C rate over 100 cycles for the latter, and a capacity of (116 ± 0.7) mAh g − 1 was found during 10 cycle rate testing at the 1 C step in LFP | Li half-cells. Additionally, the LFP cathode exhibited notable compatibility with ionic liquids, achieving a specific capacity of (135 ± 2.5) mAh g − 1 with P 14 TFSI/20 wt% EC: DMC (1:1) + 1.2 molkg − 1 LiTFSI) and (117 ± 4.8) mAh g − 1 with (N 111 )(N 112 )BH 2 TFSI + LiFSI: LiTFSI (1:1 mol: mol) as electrolyte over 10 cycles in half-cell configurations. For a closer inspection of the rechargeability of LFP-Li and LFP-LTO cells comprising carbonate and ionic liquid binder systems, the 0.1 C first charge and discharge data cycles were examined in the context of differences in solid electrolyte interface formation.