Different methods of preparing electrode from single-wall carbon nanotubes and their effect on the Li ion insertion process

Single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) is processed in three different ways: (1) coating a film out of a slurry of SWNT with poly (vinilydene difluoride) (PVDF) binder on to a Cu substrate, (2) evaporating SWNT dispersion in methanol on to a Cu substrate, and (3) transferring a film on to a Cu substrate from the water–ethanol interface, to prepare the working electrode for studying the Li ion insertion process. The use of binder enhances irreversible capacity restricting the Coulomb efficiency to only 18% in the initial cycle. The electrode prepared by deposition of SWNT powder from a dispersion of methanol on the Cu substrate gives the best reversible capacity of 445 mA h g−1 and Coulomb efficiency of 25% in the initial cycle. Use of the PVDF binder favors the formation of thicker solid electrolyte interface, which counts the large irreversible capacity.