Kosmotropic aqueous processing solution for green lithium battery cathode manufacturing.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 39956824.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-025-56831-9 and PMC identifier 11830797.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC-ND.
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Abstract
The global pursuit of carbon neutrality is driving efforts toward environmentally friendly aqueous electrode manufacturing. However, the inherent chemical reactivity of water with cathode materials remains a challenge to achieving this goal. Here, we design a class of aqueous processing solutions based on the kosmotropic effect. Ion hydration shells in the kosmotropic solutions are restructured to form an ordered state of anion-water clusters and to stabilize local hydration structure adjacent to cathode materials. Consequently, interfacial side reactions and structural degradation of Ni-rich cathode materials are mitigated. The kosmotropic solution-processed LiNi<sub>0.8</sub>Co<sub>0.1</sub>Mn<sub>0.1</sub>O<sub>2</sub> cathode achieve high specific and areal capacities (≥ 205 mAh g<sup>-1</sup> and ≥ 3.7 mAh cm<sup>-2</sup>) together with stable cyclability, which are comparable to those of commercial N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)-processed cathodes. Techno-economic analysis demonstrates that this kosmotropic solution approach reduces energy consumption in battery manufacturing by 46% compared to the NMP-based process, highlighting its practical and sustainable viability.