The Korean Society of Surface Science and Engineering

Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) has emerged as a promising electrode fabrication technique owing to its ability to form uniform coatings and its high flexibility in solvent and component selection. In this study, an N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)-free and binder-free EPD process was developed to fabricate LiFePO₄ (LFP) cathodes, addressing both the environmental concerns and the electrochemical limitations associated with conventional slurry-based electrode manufacturing. Surface-engineered aluminum current collectors with hierarchical tunnel structures were combined with acidfunctionalized carbon nanotubes to simultaneously enhance particle dispersion, electrode cohesion, and interfacial adhesion without the use of polymeric binders. As a result, binder-free LFP cathodes with mechanically robust architectures were successfully obtained via EPD. Electrochemical evaluation revealed that the EPD-fabricated cathodes exhibited superior capacity and cycling stability compared to conventional slurry-cast electrodes. These results demonstrate that EPD, when coupled with appropriate interface and microstructure engineering, represents a viable and sustainable electrode fabrication strategy for high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

키워드 LFP electrode; Electrophoretic deposition; Binder-free electrode.