Graphene mesosponge outperforms carbon nanotubes as a conductive additive in high-loading Li-ion cathodes

Researchers at Yokohama National University, Yonsei University and 3DC have shown that graphene mesosponge (GMS), a three-dimensional, sponge-like graphene material, can improve ion transport in dense, high-loading lithium-ion battery cathodes. In their tests, an electrode containing just 1 wt.% GMS outperformed one with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), a conductive additive used in commercial cells, at high discharge rates.

Raising a battery’s energy density means packing in more active material and then compressing the electrode by roll pressing. That squeezes out the pores that lithium ions travel through, which slows ion transport. The team says GMS addresses this because its mesopores take up electrolyte, forming ion pathways inside the carbon network, while the graphene framework carries the electrons. The material has a BET surface area of 936 m²/g, more than 20 times that of acetylene black (39 m²/g) and slightly below that of SWCNTs (1,225 m²/g).

Graphene mesosponge (GMS), with its unique mesoporous architecture, facilitates three-dimensional electron and ion transport in high-loading, densely packed lithium-ion-battery electrodes. Its three-dimensionally interconnected carbon framework provides efficient electronic conduction, while electrolyte accommodated within the GMS mesopores promotes ionic transport, thereby enabling excellent rate performance under practical electrode conditions at high current densities. Image credit: YOKOHAMA National University, from EurekalertRaising a battery’s energy density means packing in more active material and then compressing the electrode by roll pressing. That squeezes out the pores that lithium ions travel through, which slows ion transport. The team says GMS addresses this because its mesopores take up electrolyte, forming ion pathways inside the carbon network, while the graphene framework carries the electrons. The material has a BET surface area of 936 m²/g, more than 20 times that of acetylene black (39 m²/g) and slightly below that of SWCNTs (1,225 m²/g).

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