Investigating TEP as a greener alternative to NMP in Ni-rich cathode fabrication

In the past decade, the surging demand for portable electronics, electric vehicles, and stationary energy storage grids has triggered a noticeable rise in the production of Li-ion batteries (LIBs). However, this swift rise is now hindered by relying on the use of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), a repro-toxic solvent, in the current cathode processing of LIBs. To overcome this challenge, here we have investigated triethyl phosphate (TEP) as a greener alternative to NMP. The compatibility with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder, the slurry rheology, the electrode morphology and cell performance with Ni-rich cathodes are characterized. The results show that TEP-based samples possess indistinguishable characteristics in all aspects studied when compared with NMP, revealing that TEP is a promising substitute for NMP in processing Ni-rich cathodes. It is anticipated that this green solvent, TEP, will draw attention from industry in the real-world LIB application in the future.