Exploring Propylene Carbonate as a Green Solvent for Sustainable Lithium‐Ion Battery Cathode Manufacturing

This study pioneers the use of propylene carbonate (PC) as a green solvent alternative to N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) for Li-ion battery cathode manufacturing, addressing a critical gap in sustainable electrode fabrication. The results demonstrate PC's compatibility with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binders and its potential to support ecofriendly electrode fabrication with minimal compromise in electrochemical performance.

This study pioneers the use of propylene carbonate (PC) as a green solvent alternative to N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) for Li-ion battery cathode manufacturing, addressing a critical gap in sustainable electrode fabrication. Unlike prior research focused on half-cell evaluations of alternative solvents, this work uniquely extends to both half-cell and full-cell configurations across multiple cathode chemistries, offering a comprehensive assessment of PC's viability. Electrodes prepared using PC exhibit comparable coating quality and morphological characteristics, including uniform particle distribution and structural integrity, to NMP-processed counterparts. Electrochemical assessments indicate that PC-based electrodes provide superior first-cycle Coulombic efficiency and closely match the electrochemical performance of NMP electrodes at lower active material (AM) loadings, including stable capacity retention and minimal polarization even at higher C-rates. However, at higher AM loadings, the PC-based electrode exhibits increased interfacial and contact resistance, possibly due to incomplete PC solvent removal, leading to reduced capacity retention and increased polarization at higher C-rates. These limitations suggest that while PC is a promising sustainable alternative, its practical application requires further optimization, including refining drying processes to enhance solvent removal and interfacility stability.

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