Lithium Ion Battery Electrodes Made Using Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO)—A Green Solvent

The state-of-the-art manufacturing process of making lithium ion batteries (LIBs) uses a toxic organic and petroleum-derived solvent, N-methylprrolidone (NMP), to dissolve polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) to form a slurry consisting of active materials and conductive agents. Using viscosity and electrochemical measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), we show that the NMP solvent may be replaced by a low toxicity solvent, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), without altering the conventional LIB manufacturing process. The slurries made using DMSO have similar rheological behavior, similar viscosity values, and wettability on the current collector as those made using NMP. The electrochemical behavior of the NMC electrodes made using the two solvents, including their cycling performance, are also similar. Replacing NMP with DMSO thus provides an opportunity to reduce the environmental hazards and cost of the LIB manufacturing.