Multilayer Cathodes With Graded Inactive Materials: Impact on Adhesion and Electronic Conductivity in Lithium‐Ion Battery Electrodes
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Thick electrodes with areal capacities exceeding 4 mAh cm −2 remain essential for high energy density lithium‐ion batteries, yet they often exhibit mechanical instability and compromised electronic/ionic transport. This study introduces multilayer cathode designs that employ functionally graded inactive materials, binder, or conductive additive, to address these issues independently. Each graded electrode consists of two layers with complementary inactive material contents of 1 and 5 wt.%, resulting in an average composition of 3 wt.%. For comparison, single‐layer electrodes containing 3 wt.% carbon black (CB) or 3 wt.% binder were processed. For each electrode design, three different areal loadings (4, 7, and 10 mAh cm −2 ) were investigated. Graded binder designs improve mechanical integrity of high‑loading electrodes (~10 mAh cm −2 ) by shifting the failure mode from adhesive at the current collector to cohesive at the interlayer boundary. This removes adhesion as the limiting factor and increases pull‑off strength. Graded CB designs influence the electronic and ionic transport behavior. A uniform CB distribution provides the lowest electronic resistance. Overall, these results show that targeted grading of inactive components can improve the mechanical stability and electrochemical performance of thick electrodes, although the effects depend strongly on the selected grading strategy and component distribution.
Source: Energy Technology
DOI: 10.1002/ente.70651
Language: English
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,050
Award: G580229
OpenAlex ID: W7212223003