Design of multifunctional polymeric binders in silicon anodes for lithium‐ion batteries

Silicon(Si)is a promising anode material for lithium‐ion batteries(LIBs)owing to its tremendously high theoretical storage capacity(4200 mAh g−1),which has the potential to elevate the energy of LIBs.However,Si anodes exhibit severe volume change during lithiation/delithiation processes,resulting in anode pulverization and delamination with detrimental growth of solid electrolyte interface layers.As a result,the cycling stability of Si anodes is insufficient for commercialization in LIBs.Polymeric binders can play critical roles in Si anodes by affecting their cycling stability,although they occupy a small portion of the electrodes.This review introduces crucial factors influencing polymeric binders'properties and the electrochemical performance of Si anodes.In particular,we emphasize the structure–property relationships of binders in the context of molecular design strategy,functional groups,types of interactions,and functionalities of binders.Furthermore,binders with additional functionalities,such as electrical conductivity and self‐healability,are extensively discussed,with an emphasis on the binder design principle.

Lignite-Based Hierarchical Porous C/SiO_(x)Composites as High-Performance Anode for Potassium-Ion Batteries

Silicon oxide(SiO_(x),0<x≤2)has been recognized as a prominent anode material in lithium-ion batteries and sodium-ion batteries due to its high theoretical capacity,suitable electrochemical potential,and earth abundance.However,it is intrinsically poor electronic conductivity and excessive volume expansion during potassiation/depotassiation process hinder its application in potassium-ion batteries.Herein,we reported a hierarchical porous C/SiO_(x)potassium-ion batteries anode using lignite as raw material via a one-step carbonization and activation method.The amorphous C skeleton around SiO_(x)particles can effectively buffer the volume expansion,and improve the ionic/electronic conductivity and structural integrity,achieving outstanding rate capability and cyclability.As expected,the obtained C/SiO_(x)composite delivers a superb specific capacity of 370 mAh g^(-1)at 0.1 A g^(-1)after 100 cycles as well as a highly reversible capacity of 208 mAh g^(-1)after 1200 cycles at 1.0 A g^(-1).Moreover,the potassium ion storage mechanism of C/SiO_(x)electrodes was investigated by ex-situ X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy,revealing the formation of reversible products of K_(6.8)Si_(45.3)and K_(4)SiO_(4),accompanied by generation of irreversible K2O after the first cycle.This work sheds light on designing low-cost Si-based anode materials for high-performance potassium-ion batteries and beyond.

Pressure-Induced Pre-Lithiation Enables High-Performing Si Anodes in All-Solid-State Batteries

A commentary on pressure-induced pre-lithiation towards Si anodes in allsolid-state Li-ion batteries(ASSLIBs)using sulfide electrolytes(SEs)is presented.First,feasible pre-lithiation technologies for Si anodes in SE-based ASSLIBs especially the significant pressure-induced pre-lithiation strategies are briefly reviewed.Then,a recent achievement by Meng et al.in this field is elaborated in detail.Finally,the significance of Meng’s work is discussed.

A Web-like Three-dimensional Binder for Silicon Anode in Lithium-ion Batteries

Si anode is of paramount importance for advanced energy-dense lithium-ion batteries(LIBs).However,the large volume change as well as stress generates during its lithiation-delithiation process poses a great challenge to the long-term cycling and hindering its application.Herein this work,a composite binder is prepared with a soft component,guar gum(GG),and a rigid linear polymer,anionic polyacrylamide(APAM).Rich hydroxy,carboxyl,and amide groups on the polymer chains not only enable intermolecular crosslinking to form a web-like binder,A2G1,but also realize strong chemical binding as well as physical encapsulating to Si particles.The resultant electrode shows limited thickness change of merely 9%on lithiation and almost recovers its original thickness on delithiation.It demonstrates high reversible capacity of 2104.3 mAh g^(-1)after 100 cycles at a current density of 1800 mA g^(-1),and in constant capacity(1000 mAh g^(-1))test,it also shows a long life of 392 cycles.Therefore,this soft-hard combining web-like binder illustrates its great potential in the future applications.

Pomegranate-type Si/C anode with SiC taped,well-dispersed tiny Si particles for lithium-ion batteries

Severe volume expansion and inherently poor lithium ion transmission are two major problems of silicon anodes.To address these issues,we proposed a pomegranate-type Si/C composite anode with highly dispersed tiny silicon particles as the core assisted by small amount of SiC.Skillfully exploiting the high heat from magnesiothermic reduction,SiC can assist the good dispersion of silicon and provide good interface compatibility and chemical stability.The silicon anchored to the carbon shell provides multipoint contact mode,that together with the carbon shell frame,significantly promoting the transfer of dual charge.Besides,the pomegranate-type microcluster structure also improves the tap density of the electrode,reduces the direct contact area between active material and electrolyte,and enhances the electrochemical performance.

Silicon/flake graphite/carbon anode materials prepared with different dispersants by spray-drying method for lithium ion batteries

Silicon/flake graphite/carbon （Si/FG/C） composites were synthesized with different dispersants via spray drying and subsequent pyrolysis, and effects of dispersants on the characteristics of the composites were investigated. The structure and properties of the composites were determined by X-ray diffractometry （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and electrochemical measurements. The results show that samples have silicon/flake graphite/amorphous carbon composite structure, good spherical appearances, and better electrochemical performance than pure nano-Si and FG/C composites. Compared with the Si/FG/C composite using washing powder as dispersant, the Si/FG/C composite using sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate （SDBS） as dispersant has better electrochemical performance with a reversible capacity of 602.68 mA·h/g, and a capacity retention ratio of 91.58 % after 20 cycles.

Fabrication,characterization and electrochemical properties of porous coral-structured Si/C composite anode for lithium ion battery

A porous coral-structured Si/C composite as an anode material was fabricated by coating Si nanoparticles with a carbon layer from polyvinyl alcohol（PVA）, erosion of hydrofluoric（HF） acid, and secondary coating with pitch. Three samples with different pitch contents of 30%, 40% and 50% were synthesized. The composition and morphology of the composites were characterized by X-ray diffractometry（XRD） and scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, respectively, and the properties were tested by electrochemical measurements. The results indicated that the composites showed obviously enhanced electrochemical performance compared with that without secondary carbon coating. The second discharge capacity of the composite was 773 m A·h/g at a current density of 100 m A/g, and still retained 669 m A·h/g after 60 cycles with a small capacity fade of less than 0.23%/cycle, while the content of secondary carbon source of pitch was set at 40%. Therefore, the cycle stability of the composite could be excellently improved by regulating carbon content of secondary coating.

Yolk-shell Si/C composites with multiple Si nanoparticles encapsulated into double carbon shells as lithium-ion battery anodes

The conceptual design of yolk-shell structured Si/C composites is considered to be an effective way to improve the recyclability and conductivity of Si-based anode materials. Herein, a new type of yolk-shell structured Si/C composite (denoted as TSC-PDA-B) has been intelligently designed by rational engineering and precise control. In the novel structure, the multiple Si nanoparticles with small size are successfully encapsulated into the porous carbon shells with double layers benefiting from the strong etching effect of HF. The TSC-PDA-B product prepared is evaluated as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The TSC-PDA-B product exhibits an excellent lithium storage performance with a high initial capacity of 2108 mAh g^-1 at a current density of 100 mA g^-1 and superior cycling performance of 1113 mAh g^-1 over 200 cycles. The enhancement of lithium storage performance may be attributed to the construction of hybrid structure including small Si nanoparticles, high surface area, and double carbon shells, which can not only increase electrical conductiv让y and intimate electrical contact with Si nanoparticles, but also provide built-in buffer voids for Si nanoparticles to expand freely without damaging the carbon layer. The present findings can provide some scientific insights into the design and the application of advanced Si-based anode materials in energy storage fields.

Recent progress and perspectives on silicon anode:Synthesis and prelithiation for LIBs energy storage

The ever-increasing environmental/energy crisis as well as the rapid upgrading of mobile devices had stimulated intensive research attention on promising alternative energy storage and conversion devices.Among these devices,alkali metal ion batteries,such as lithium-ion batteries(LIBs) had attracted increasing research attention due to its several advantages including,environmental friendliness,high power density,long cycle life and excellent reversibility.It had been widely used in consumer electronics,electric vehicles,and large power grids et ac.Silicon-based(silicon and their oxides,carbides) anodes had been widely studied.Its several advantages including low cost,high theoretical capacity,natural abundance,and environmental friendliness,which shows great potential as anodes of LIBs.In this review,we summarized the recently progress in the synthetic method of silicon matrix composites.The empirical method for prelithiation of silicon-based materials were also provided.Further,we also reviewed some novel characterization methods.Finally,the new design,preparation methods and properties of these nano materials were reviewed and compared.We hoped that this review can provide a general overview of recent progress and we briefly highlighted the current challenges and prospects,and will clarify the future trend of silicon anode LIBs research.

Interfacial nitrogen engineering of robust silicon/MXene anode toward high energy solid-state lithium-ion batteries

Replacing the conventional carbonate electrolyte by solid-state electrolyte (SSE) will offer improved safety for lithium-ion batteries.To further improve the energy density,Silicon (Si) is attractive for next generation solid-state battery (SSB) because of its high specific capacity and low cost.High energy density and safe Si-based SSB,however,is plagued by large volume change that leads to poor mechanical stability and slow lithium ions transportation at the multiple interfaces between Si and SSE.Herein,we designed a self-integrated and monolithic Si/two dimensional layered T_(3)C_(2)T_(x)(MXene,T_(x) stands for terminal functional groups) electrode architecture with interfacial nitrogen engineering.During a heat treatment process,the polyacrylonitrile not only converts into amorphous carbon (a-C) that shells Si but also forms robust interfacial nitrogen chemical bonds that anchors Si and MXene.During repeated lithiation and delithiation processes,the robust interfacial engineered Si/MXene configuration enhances the mechanical adhesion between Si and MXene that improves the structure stability but also contributes to form stable solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI).In addition,the N-MXene provides fast lithium ions transportation pathways.Consequently,the Si/MXene with interfacial nitrogen engineering (denoted as Si-N-MXene) deliveres high-rate performance with a specific capacity of 1498 m Ah g^(-1) at a high current of 6.4 A g^(-1).A Si-N-MXene/NMC full cell exhibited a capacity retention of 80.5%after 200 cycles.The Si-N-MXene electrode is also applied to SSB and shows a relative stable cycling over 100 cycles,demonstrating the versatility of this concept.

Si/Cu3_Si@C Composite Encapsulated in CNTs Network as High Performance Anode for Lithium Ion Batteries

Si/Cu3Si@C composites encapsulated in CNTs network(SCC-CNTs) were synthesized via the combination of ball-milling and CVD methods. SCC-CNTs consist of conductive Cu3Si, amorphous carbon layer, cross-linked CNTs, and the etched pores, which can play the synergistic effects on the improvement of electronic conductivity and Li^+ diffusion. The volume expansion of Si anode is also suppressed during the electrochemical process. The SCC-CNTs composites demonstrate a remarkably improved electrochemical performance compared with pure Si, which can deliver a discharge capacity of 2 171 mAh·g^-1 at 0.4 A·g^-1 with ICE of 85.2%, and retain 1197 mAh· g^-1 after 150 cycles. This work provides a facile approach to massively produce the high-performance Si-based anode materials for next-generation LIBs.

High-performance self-organized Si nanocomposite anode for lithium-ion batteries

Silicon is being investigated extensively as an anodic material for next-generation lithium ion batteries for portable energy storage and electric vehicles.However,the large changes in volume during cycling lead to the breakdown of the conductive network in Si anodes and the formation of an unstable solid-electrolyte interface,resulting in capacity fading.Here,we demonstrate nanoparticles with a Si@Mn22.6Si5.4C4@C double-shell structure and the formation of self-organized Si-Mn-C nanocomposite anodes during the lithiation/delithiation process.The anode consists of amorphous Si particles less than 10 nm in diameter and separated by an interconnected conductive/buffer network,which exhibits excellent charge transfer kinetics and charge/discharge performances.A stable specific capacity of 1100 mAh·g-1 at 100 mA·g-1 and a coulombic efficiency of 99.2%after 30 cycles are achieved.Additionally,a rate capacity of 343 mAh·g-1 and a coulombic efficiency of 99.4%at 12000 mA·g-1 are also attainable.Owing to its simplicity and applicability,this strategy for improving electrode performance paves a way for the development of high-performance Si-based anodic materials for lithium ion batteries.

Micrometer-sized ferrosilicon composites wrapped with multi-layered carbon nanosheets as industrialized anodes for high energy lithium-ion batteries

Various nanostructured architectures have been demonstrated to be effective to address the issues of high capacity Si anodes. However, the scale-up of these nano-Si materials is still a critical obstacle for commercialization. Herein, we use industrial ferrosilicon as low-cost Si source and introduce a facile and scalable method to fabricate a micrometer-sized ferrosilicon/C composite anode, in which ferrosilicon microparticles are wrapped with multi-layered carbon nanosheets. The multi-layered carbon nanosheets could effectively buffer the volume variation of Si as well as create an abundant and reliable conductivity framework, ensuring fast transport of electrons. As a result, the micrometer-sized ferrosilicon/C anode achieves a stable cycling with 805.9 m Ah g-1 over 200 cycles at 500 mA g-1 and a good rate capability of455.6 mAh g-1 at 10 A g-1. Therefore, our approach based on ferrosilicon provides a new opportunity in fabricating cost-effective, pollution-free, and large-scale Si electrode materials for high energy lithium-ion batteries.

High-performance Si-Containing anode materials in lithium-ion batteries: A superstructure of Si@Co-NC composite works effectively

To mitigate the massive volume expansion of Si-based anode during the charge/discharge cycles,we synthesized a superstructure of Si@Co±NC composite via the carbonization of zeolite imidazolate frameworks incorporated with Si nanoparticles.The Si@Co±NC is comprised of Sinanoparticle core and N-doped/Co-incorporated carbon shell,and there is void space between the core and the shell.When using as anode material for LIBs,Si@Co±NC displayed a super performance with a charge/discharge capacity of 191.6/191.4 mA h g^(-1)and a coulombic efficiency of 100.1%at 1000 mA g^(-1)after 3000 cycles,and the capacity loss rate is 0.022%per cycle only.The excellent electrochemical property of Si@Co±NC is because its electronic conductivity is enhanced by doping the carbon shell with N atoms and by incorporating with Co particles,and the pathway of lithium ions transmission is shortened by the hollow structure and abundant mesopores in the carbon shell.Also,the volume expansion of Si nanoparticles is well accommodated in the void space and suppressed by the carbon host matrix.This work shows that,through designing a superstructure for the anode materials,we can synergistically reduce the work function and introduce the confinement effect,thus significantly enhancing the anode materials’electrochemical performance in LIBs.

Si-doped composite carbon as anode of lithium ion batteries

Si doped composite material was prepared by coating artificial graphite with the mixture of phenol resin and polysilicone and following with heat treatment at 1 050 ℃ in an argon gas atmosphere. The structure and characteristics of the composite carbon were determined by means of XRD, SEM, BET surface area and electrochemical measurements. The new carbon material has a disordered carbon/graphite composite structure, with silicon doped in the disordered carbon. Compared with the pristine graphite, the electrochemical performance is improved for the Si doped composite carbon with large reversible capacity of 312.6 mAh/g, high initial charge/discharge efficiency of 88.61%, and excellent cycle stability. The prototype batteries using the composite carbon as anode material have large discharge capacity of 845 mAh and high capacity retention ratio of 95.80% at the 200th cycle.

Coil-to-Stretch Transition of Binder Chains Enabled by“Nano-Combs”to Facilitate Highly Stable SiO_(x) Anode

The commercialized binder carboxymethyl cellulose sodium(CMC-Na)is considered unsuitable for micro-sized SiO_(x) anode as it cannot endure the large volume change to retain the conductive network during repeated charge/discharge cycles.Herein,a small amount of silicon nanoparticles(SiNPs)is added during slurry preparation process as“nano-combs”to unfold the convoluted CMC-Na polymer chains so that they undergo a coilto-stretch transition by interaction between polar groups(e.g.,-OH,-COONa)of polymer and SiNPs’large surface.Through maximizing the utilization of binders,a uniform conductive network is constructed with increased interfacial contact with micro-sized SiO_(x).As a result,the SiO_(x) electrode with optimized(10 wt%)SiNPs addition shows significantly improved initial capacity and cycling performance.Through revisiting CMCNa,a currently deemed unqualified binder in SiO_(x) anode,this work gives a brand-new perspective on the failing mechanism of Si-based anode materials and an improving strategy for electrode preparation.

A thin Si nanowire network anode for high volumetric capacity and long-life lithium-ion batteries

Silicon nanowires(Si NWs)have been widely researched as the best alternative to graphite anodes for the next-generation of high-performance lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)owing to their high capacity and low discharge potential.However,growing binder-free Si NW anodes with adequate mass loading and stable capacity is severely limited by the low surface area of planar current collectors(CCs),and is particularly challenging to achieve on standard pure-Cu substrates due to the ubiquitous formation of Li+inactive silicide phases.Here,the growth of densely-interwoven In-seeded Si NWs is facilitated by a thin-film of copper-silicide(CS)network in situ grown on a Cu-foil,allowing for a thin active NW layer(<10μm thick)and high areal loading(≈1.04 mg/cm^(2))binder-free electrode architecture.The electrode exhibits an average Coulombic efficiency(CE)of>99.6%and stable performance for>900 cycles with≈88.7%capacity retention.More significantly,it delivers a volumetric capacity of≈1086.1 m A h/cm^(3)at 5C.The full-cell versus lithium manganese oxide(LMO)cathode delivers a capacity of≈1177.1 m A h/g at 1C with a stable rate capability.This electrode architecture represents significant advances toward the development of binder-free Si NW electrodes for LIB application.

Nano-sized carboxylates as anode materials for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries

Nano-sized caiboxylales Na2C7H3NO4 and Na2C6H2N2O4 were prepared and investigated as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.Both carboxylates exhibit high reversible capacities around 190 mAh/g above a cut-off voltage of 0.8 V vs.Li＋/Li.potentially improving the safety of the batteries.In addition,good rate performance and long cycle life of these carboxylates make them promising candidates as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

Anthraquinone derivative as high-performance anode material for sodium-ion batteries using ether-based electrolytes

Organic materials, especially the carbonyl compounds, are promising anode materials for room temperature sodium-ion batteries owing to their high reversible capacity, structural diversity as well as eco-friendly synthesis from bio-mass. Herein, we report a novel anthraquinone derivative, C_(14)H_6 O_4 Na_2 composited with carbon nanotube(C_(14)H_6 O_4 Na_2-CNT), used as an anode material for sodium-ion batteries in etherbased electrolyte. The C_(14)H_6 O_4 Na_2-CNT electrode delivers a reversible capacity of 173 mAh g^(-1) and an ultra-high initial Coulombic efficiency of 98% at the rate of 0.1 C. The capacity retention is 82% after 50 cycles at 0.2 C and a good rate capability is displayed at 2 C.Furthermore, the average Na insertion voltage of 1.27 V vs. Na^+/Na makes it a unique and safety battery material, which would avoid Na plating and formation of solid electrolyte interface. Our contribution provides new insights for designing developed organic anode materials with high initial Coulombic efficiency and improved safety capability for sodium-ion batteries.

The mitigation of pitch-derived carbon with different structures on the volume expansion of silicon in Si/C composite anode

The microstructures of carbon precursors significantly affect the electrochemical performance of Si/C composite anodes.However,the interaction between Si and carbon materials with different structures is still unclear.Pitch-based materials undergoing different thermal treatments are superior sources for synthesizing carbons with different structures.Herein,different types of mesophase pitch(domain,flow-domain and mosaic structure) obtained from controllable thermal condensation are utilized to prepare Si/C composite materials and the corresponding models are established through finite element simulation to explore the correlation between the lithium storage properties of Si/C composites and the structures of carbon materials.The results indicate that the flow-domain texture pitch P2 has a better ability to buffer the volume expansion of silicon particles for its highly ordered arrangement of carbon crystallites inside could disperse the swelling stress uniformly alongside the particle surface.The sample Si@P2 exhibits the highest capacity of 1328 mA h/g after 200 cycles at a current density of 0.1 A/g as well as the best rate performance and stability.While sample Si@P3 in which the mosaic texture pitch P3 composed of random orientation of crystallites undergoes the fastest capacity decay.These findings suggest that highly ordered carbon materials are more suitable for the synthesis of Si/C composite anodes and provide insights for understanding the interaction between carbon and silicon during the charging/discharging process.