A high-performance composite positive electrode based on graphene and Li (Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)O-2

Abstract

The cathode electrodes in commercial Li-ion cells are usually coated on aluminum foils, while the anode part is coated on copper current collector. However, these metallic foils of the electrodes are relatively heavy counterparts when compared with the total cell weight. To overcome this issue, we comparatively studied LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 (NMC); NMC/graphene positive electrodes reinforced with graphene were produced in the form of freestanding electrodes by a facile sol-gel and vacuum filtration method. To confirm our results obtained with the half-cells, graphite@NMC@graphene full-cells were also produced and a specific capacity of 220mAhg(-1) after 250cycles. Extraordinary electrochemical cycling, high conductivity, and enhanced rate properties are obtained by anchoring the NMC particles between the graphene layers. The results have also indicated that the freestanding graphene-based electrodes could be a useful tool for high-capacity lithium-ion batteries.