Strategic dispersion of carbon black and its application to ink-jet-printed lithium cobalt oxide electrodes for lithium ion batteries

► We investigate the effect of surface modification of carbon black on the microstructure and electrochemical properties for lithium ion batteries. ► Surface modifications of carbon black lead to enhance the compactness and homogeneity of the microstructure of electrodes. ► Better homogeneity of the microstructure is responsible for higher initial specific discharge capacities than that with as-received carbon black.