Negative electrode, secondary battery including the negative electrode, and method of preparing the negative electrode

A method of preparing a negative electrode, comprising:

• preparing a conductive agent dispersion (S1);
• forming a negative electrode slurry including the conductive agent dispersion and a negative electrode active material (S2);
• and
• forming a negative electrode active material layer by drying the negative electrode slurry, wherein the preparing of the conductive agent dispersion (S1) comprises:
• preparing a mixed solution containing a dispersion medium, a dispersant, and bundle-type single-walled carbon nanotubes (S1-1);
• and
• dispersing the bundle-type single-walled carbon nanotubes by applying a shear force to the mixed solution to form a carbon nanotube structure in which 2 to 5,000 single-walled carbon nanotube units are bonded side by side (S1-2),
• wherein the negative electrode active material comprises silicon-based active material particles, and
• wherein a plurality of the carbon nanotube structures are connected to each other to form a conductive network structure in the negative electrode active material layer, and the conductive network structure is provided by the carbon nanotube structures attached to the silicon-based active material particles.