A Convenient and Versatile Method To Control the Electrode Microstructure toward High-Energy Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Control over porous electrode microstructure is critical for the continued improvement of electrochemical performance of lithium ion batteries. This paper describes a convenient and economical method for controlling electrode porosity, thereby enhancing material loading and stabilizing the cycling performance. Sacrificial NaCl is added to a Si-based electrode, which demonstrates an areal capacity of ∼4 mAh/cm(2) at a C/10 rate (0.51 mA/cm(2)) and an areal capacity of 3 mAh/cm(2) at a C/3 rate (1.7 mA/cm(2)), one of the highest material loadings reported for a Si-based anode at such a high cycling rate. X-ray microtomography confirmed the improved porous architecture of the SiO electrode with NaCl. The method developed here is expected to be compatible with the state-of-the-art lithium ion battery industrial fabrication processes and therefore holds great promise as a practical technique for boosting the electrochemical performance of lithium ion batteries without changing material systems.

Side-chain conducting and phase-separated polymeric binders for high-performance silicon anodes in lithium-ion batteries.

Here we describe a class of electric-conducting polymers that conduct electrons via the side chain π-π stacking. These polymers can be designed and synthesized with different chemical moieties to perform different functions, extremely suitable as a conductive polymer binder for lithium battery electrodes. A class of methacrylate polymers based on a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon side moiety, pyrene, was synthesized and applied as an electrode binder to fabricate a silicon (Si) electrode. The electron mobilities for PPy and PPyE are characterized as 1.9 × 10(-4) and 8.5 × 10(-4) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), respectively. These electric conductive polymeric binders can maintain the electrode mechanical integrity and Si interface stability over a thousand cycles of charge and discharge. The as-assembled batteries exhibit a high capacity and excellent rate performance due to the self-assembled solid-state nanostructures of the conductive polymer binders. These pyrene-based methacrylate binders also enhance the stability of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) of a Si electrode over long-term cycling. The physical properties of this polymer are further tailored by incorporating ethylene oxide moieties at the side chains to enhance the adhesion and adjust swelling to improve the stability of the high loading Si electrode.

Determination of Si/graphite anode composition for new generation Li-ion batteries: a case study.

Silicon with the properties of high capacity capability, moderate working potential, environmental sensitivity, and existence are the highly promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Silicon anodes have disadvantageous properties and advantages like 300% volume change during lithium insertion and extraction process that can result in capacity fading and a shorter lifetime of the battery. In the literature, different optimizations of Silicon with different nanomaterials or composite materials, in different ratios, and with different binders and different procedures have been studied. The physical mixing of silicon with carbon provides a good performance by combining the high lithium storage capacity of the silicon and the good mechanical and conductive properties of carbon. Binders are one of the other factors affecting the performance of the Si/C anodes. In this study, different ratios of silicon/graphite combinations were tested. The Si/C hybrid material provides an advantageous and efficient use for innovative lithium-ion anodes and available lithium-ion battery technology when the Si/C match performs a suitable combination of two material properties, such as the high lithium storage capacity of silicon and the conductive properties of carbon. This study is aimed to improve the performance of the cell by changing the amount of active material and polymer in the electrode by finding the most appropriate amount of active substance and binder polymer ratio in the electrode. The electrochemical result of the composition, which compensates for the problems caused by the volume expansion of the silicon by using less silicon, showed higher capacitive properties, as it exhibits better adhesion among these compositions with a higher binder ratio. This study resulted in more than 1000 mAh/g specific capacity after 100 cycles at C/3 rate and structural characterization of the samples before and after cycling provided information about the electrode content.

Self-Healing Systems in Silicon Anodes for Li-Ion Batteries.

Self-healing is the capability of materials to repair themselves after the damage has occurred, usually through the interaction between molecules or chains. Physical and chemical processes are applied for the preparation of self-healing systems. There are different approaches for these systems, such as heterogeneous systems, shape memory effects, hydrogen bonding or covalent-bond interaction, diffusion, and flow dynamics. Self-healing mechanisms can occur in particular through heat and light exposure or through reconnection without a direct effect. The applications of these systems display an increasing trend in both the R&D and industry sectors. Moreover, self-healing systems and their energy storage applications are currently gaining great importance. This review aims to provide general information on recent developments in self-healing materials and their battery applications given the critical importance of self-healing systems for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). In the first part of the review, an introduction about self-healing mechanisms and design strategies for self-healing materials is given. Then, selected important healing materials in the literature for the anodes of LIBs are mentioned in the second part. The results and future perspectives are stated in the conclusion section.

High capacity and high density functional conductive polymer and SiO anode for high-energy lithium-ion batteries.

High capacity and high density functional conductive polymer binder/SiO electrodes are fabricated and calendered to various porosities. The effect of calendering is investigated in the reduction of thickness and porosity, as well as the increase of density. SiO particle size remains unchanged after calendering. When compressed to an appropriate density, an improved cycling performance and increased energy density are shown compared to the uncalendered electrode and overcalendered electrode. The calendered electrode has a high-density of ∼1.2 g/cm(3). A high loading electrode with an areal capacity of ∼3.5 mAh/cm(2) at a C/10 rate is achieved using functional conductive polymer binder and simple and effective calendering method.

A systematic investigation of polymer binder flexibility on the electrode performance of lithium-ion batteries.

The mechanical failure at the electrode interfaces (laminate/current collector and binder/particle interfaces) leads to particle isolation and delamination, which has been regarded as one of the main reasons for the capacity decay and cell failure of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Polymer binder provides the key function for a good interface property and for maintaining the electrode integrity of LIBs. Triethylene glycol monomethyl ether (TEG) moieties were incorporated into polymethacrylic acid (PMAA) to different extents at the molecular level. Microscratch tests of the graphite electrodes based on these binders indicate that the electrode is more flexible with 5 or 10% TEG in the polymer binders. Crack generation is inhibited by the flexible TEG-containing binder, compared to that of the unmodified PMAA-based electrode, leading to the better cycling performance of the flexible electrode. With a 10% TEG moiety in the binder, the graphite half-cell reaches a reversible capacity of >270 mAh/g at the 1C rate, compared to a value of ∼190 mAh/g for the unmodified PMAA binder.