Scalable Synthesis of SiOx-TiON Composite As an Ultrastable Anode for Li-Ion Half/Full Batteries.

Among various anode materials, SiOx is regarded as the next generation of promising anode due to its advantages of high theoretical capacity with 2680 mA h g-1, low lithium voltage platform, and rich natural resources. However, the pure SiOx-based materials have slow lithium storage kinetics attributed to their low electron/ion conductive properties and the large volume change during lithiation/delithiation, restricting their practical application. Optimizing the SiOx material structures and the fabricating methods to mitigate these fatal defects and adapt to the market demand for energy density is critical. Hence, SiOx material with TiO1-xNx phase modification has been prepared by simple, low-cost, and scalable ball milling and then combined with nitridation. Consequently, based on the TiO1-xNx modified layer, which boosts high ionic/electronic conductivity, chemical stability, and excellent mechanical properties, the SiOx@TON-10 electrode shows highly stable lithium-ion storage performance for lithium-ion half/full batteries due to a stable solid-electrolyte interface layer, fast Li+ transport channel, and alleviative volumetric expansion, further verifying its practical feasibility and universal applicability.

Three-Dimensional Crosslinked PAA-TA Hybrid Binders for Long-Cycle-Life SiOx Anodes in Lithium-Ion Batteries.

The large volume expansion hinders the commercial application of silicon oxide (SiOx) anodes in lithium-ion batteries. Recent studies show that binders play a vital role in mitigating the volume change of SiOx electrodes. Herein, we introduce the small molecule tannic acid (TA) with high branching into the linear poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) binder for SiOx anodes. The three-dimensional (3D) crosslinked network with multiple hydrogen bonds is formed by the incorporation of abundant hydroxyl groups with unique carboxyl groups, which increases the interfacial adhesive strength with SiOx particles. As a consequence, SiOx electrodes based on the PAA-TA binder show an excellent cycling performance with a high specific capacity of 1025 mA h g-1 at 500 mA g-1 after 250 cycles. Moreover, the SiOx||NCM811 full cell exhibits a reversible capacity of 143 mA h g-1 corresponding to 87.4% capacity retention after 100 cycles.

Engineering High-Performance SiOx Anode Materials with a Titanium Oxynitride Coating for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Micron-sized silicon oxide (SiOx) has been regarded as a promising anode material for new-generation lithium-ion batteries due to its high capacity and low cost. However, the distinct volume expansion during the repeated (de)lithiation process and poor conductivity can lead to structural collapse of the electrode and capacity fading. In this study, SiOx anode materials coated with TiO0.6N0.4 layers are fabricated by a facile solvothermal and thermal reduction technique. The TiO0.6N0.4 layers are homogeneously dispersed on SiOx particles and form an intimate contact. The TiO0.6N0.4 layers can enhance the conductivity and suppress volume expansion of the SiOx anode, which facilitate ion/electron transport and maintain the integrity of the overall electrode structure. The as-prepared SiOx-TiON-200 composites demonstrate a high reversible capacity of 854 mAh g-1 at 0.5 A g-1 with a mass loading of 2.0 mg cm-2 after 250 cycles. This surface modification technique could be extended to other anodes with low conductivity and large volume expansion for lithium-ion batteries.