Toward Li-ion Graphite Anodes with Enhanced Mechanical and Electrochemical Properties Using Binders from Chemically Modified Cellulose Fibers

Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) are bio-sourced nanomaterials, which, after proper chemical modification, exhibit a unique ability to disperse carbon-rich micro- and nanomaterials and can be used in the design of mechanically strong functional nanocomposites. When used in the preparation of graphite anodes for Li-ion batteries, they have the potential to outperform conventional binders such as carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) both electrochemically and mechanically. In this study, cellulose-rich fibers were subjected to three different chemical modifications (including carbonyl-, carboxyl-, and aldehyde-functionalization) to facilitate their fibrillation into CNFs during the preparation of aqueous slurries of graphite and carbon black. Using these binders, graphite anodes were prepared through conventional blade coating. Compared to CMC/SBR reference anodes, all anodes prepared with modified cellulosic fibers as binders performed better in the galvanostatic cycling experiments and in the mechanical cohesion tests they were subjected to. Among them, the aldehyde- and carboxyl-rich fibers performed the best and resulted in a 10% increase in specific capacity with a simultaneous two-and three-fold increase of the electrode material's stress-at-failure and strain-at-break, respectively. In-depth characterizations attributed these results to the distinctive nanostructure and surface chemistry of the composites formed between graphite and these fiber-based binders.