A film maturation process for improving the cycle life of Si-based anodes for Li-ion batteries

This study shows that storage for a few days in humid air before cell assembling of Si-carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) composite electrode prepared with a slurry buffered at pH 3 has a major positive impact on its cycle life and coulombic efficiency. Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy analysis shows that water molecules in humid air partly convert the ester bonds between Si particles and CMC binder into less rigid hydrogen bonds. Complementary to cycling tests, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations suggest that the mechanical integrity of the film is better maintained for an optimal ratio of ester bonds to hydrogen bonds between Si particles and the CMC chains. Such a favorable impact of storage in humid air on the cycling behavior of a composite electrode for lithium battery was unexpected when compared to standard practices that show a detrimental aging of active electrode materials when exposed to water.     

Characterization of anodes for lithium-ion batteries

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - The lithium-ion batteries are energy storage systems of high performance and low cost. They are employed in multiple portable devices, and these require...     

Computational and experimental investigations on the effect of crystallinity and crystal size on Na-transport in nanoscaled Si: implications for Si-based anodes for Na-ion batteries

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - While Li transport in Si is well understood, little is known about Na transport, despite Si being considered a potential anode material for the upcoming...     

Gallium-based anodes for alkali metal ion batteries

Alkali metal ion batteries(AMIBs)are playing an irreplaceable part in the energy revolution,due to their intrinsic advantages of large capacity/power density and abundance of alkali metal ions in the earth’s crust.Despite their great promise,the inborn deficiencies of commercial graphite and other anodes being researched so far call for the quest of better alternatives that exhibit all-round performance with the balance of energy/power density and cycling stability.Gallium-based materials,with impressive capacity utilization and self-healing ability,provide an anticipated solution to this conundrum.In this review,an overview on the recent progress of gallium-based anodes and their storage mechanism is presented.The current strategies used as engineering solutions to meet the scientific challenges ahead are discussed,in addition to the insightful outlook for possible future study.     

Electrospun CuFe_2O_4 nanotubes as anodes for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Herein,we report on the synthesis and lithium storage properties of electrospun one-dimensional(1D) CuFe_2O_4 nanomaterials.1D CuFe_2O_4nanotubes and nanorods were fabricated by a single spinneret electrospinning method followed by thermal decomposition for removal of polymers from the precursor fibers.The as-prepared CuFe_2O_4 nanotubes with wall thickness of ~50 nm presented diameters of ~150 nm and lengths up to several millimeters.It was found that phase separation between the electrospun composite materials occured during the electrospinning process,while the as-spun precursor nanofibers composed of polyacrylonitrile(PAN),polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP) and metal salts might possess a core-shell structure(PAN as the core and PVP/metal salts composite as the shell) and then transformed to a hollow structure after calcination.Moreover,as a demonstration of the functional properties of the 1D nanostructure.CuFe_2O_4 nanotubes and nanorods were investigated as anodes for lithium ion batteries(LIBs).It was demonstrated that CuFe_2O_4 nanotubes not only delivered a high reversible capacity of ~816 mAh·g~(-1) at a current density of 200 mA·g~(-1)over 50 cycles,but also showed superior rate capability with respect to counterpart nanorods.Probably,the enhanced electrochemical performance can be attributed to its high specific surface areas as well as the unique hollow structure.     

Electrospun CuFe2O4 nanotubes as anodes for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Herein,we report on the synthesis and lithium storage properties of electrospun one-dimensional(1D) CuFe_2O_4 nanomaterials.1D CuFe_2O_4nanotubes and nanorods were fabricated by a single spinneret electrospinning method followed by thermal decomposition for removal of polymers from the precursor fibers.The as-prepared CuFe_2O_4 nanotubes with wall thickness of ~50 nm presented diameters of ~150 nm and lengths up to several millimeters.It was found that phase separation between the electrospun composite materials occured during the electrospinning process,while the as-spun precursor nanofibers composed of polyacrylonitrile(PAN),polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP) and metal salts might possess a core-shell structure(PAN as the core and PVP/metal salts composite as the shell) and then transformed to a hollow structure after calcination.Moreover,as a demonstration of the functional properties of the 1D nanostructure.CuFe_2O_4 nanotubes and nanorods were investigated as anodes for lithium ion batteries(LIBs).It was demonstrated that CuFe_2O_4 nanotubes not only delivered a high reversible capacity of ~816 mAh·g~(-1) at a current density of 200 mA·g~(-1)over 50 cycles,but also showed superior rate capability with respect to counterpart nanorods.Probably,the enhanced electrochemical performance can be attributed to its high specific surface areas as well as the unique hollow structure.     

Drop-on-demand 3D-printed silicon-based anodes for lithium-ion batteries

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - We present the application of drop-on-demand (DoD) dispensing technology for printing of silicon-based anodes. We show that the DoD printing technique is...     

Model Ge microstructures as anodes for Li-ion batteries

We examine the properties of microstructured Ge electrodes for Li-ion battery applications. Model-microfabricated single-crystalline Ge electrode structures are used to investigate the effects of Cu coating and partial discharging on cycle life. Results show that the Ge microstructures insert Li more isotropically than do comparable ones comprised of Si. A model Ge microbar electrode with a Cu coating is capable of 95 % coulombic efficiency after 40 cycles when the amount of charge is limited. The microstructured Ge electrode is found to exhibit poor performance at higher delithiation rates (above C/5) relative to microstructured Si electrodes. These results provide an understanding of the effects of electrochemical processes on model-microstructured Ge electrodes which may ultimately aid in the development of advanced anodes for Li-ion batteries.     

Synthesis of FeS2/CoS heterostructure microspheres as anodes for high-performance Li-ion batteries

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - FeS2/CoS and FeS2/CoS/C composites were synthesized by solvothermal method and following vapor phase vulcanization at mild temperature with binary oxide...     

C/C composite anodes for long-life lithium-ion batteries

The research of anodic materials which could improve the performance and reduce the cost of graphite-based materials in lithium-ion batteries leads to a considerable effort for creating novel carbons. In this work, special attention has been paid to investigating the possibility of improving the electrochemical behavior of graphite anode by application of composite materials with carbon materials coming from agro-wastes. For that, different carbons coming from agro-wastes have been synthesized and characterized in order to study the effect of their properties on the electrochemical performance of C/C composites with graphite. It has been established that introduction of hard carbon obtained from olive stones into the active mass of anode based on graphite allows one to increase the reversible capacity up to 405 mAh g^?1 for the total mass of graphite/carbon content of electrode, and also to improve stability of characteristics during cycling. We suggested that such a binary carbon mixture (graphite and hard carbon) would be a better choice for development of the anode for lithium-ion battery.     

High capacity SnxSbyCuz composite anodes for lithium ion batteries

To increase the volumetric discharge capacity of negative electrode for rechargeable lithium batteries, a composite anode Sn_xSb_yCu_z has been synthesized by using high energy mechanical ball milling method. The synthesized composite anode materials have been characterized by X-ray diffraction and SEM analysis. The charge/discharge characteristics of the fabricated coin cells have been evaluated galvanostatically in the potential range 0.01–2 V using 1 M LiPF₆ in 1:1 EC/DEC as electrolyte. Results indicate that the composition with 90 wt% Sn, 8 wt% Sb and 2 wt% Cu delivers an average discharge capacity of 740 mAh g⁻¹ over the investigated 50 cycles which is a potential candidate for use as an anode material for lithium rechargeable cells.     

Silicon-containing anodes with high capacity loading for lithium-ion batteries

Comparative analysis of cycling performance of hybrid electrodes based on the MAG synthetic graphite mechanic mixtures with silicon nanopowder and “nano-Si/SiO₂/hard carbon” ceramic frame-ordered composite in 1 M LiPF₆ solution in a monofluoroethylene carbonate-ethyl methyl carbonate mixture (30: 70, v/v), added with 3 wt % vinylene carbonate and 2 wt % ethylene sulfite, is performed. The high capacity loading (up to 6.8 mA h cm^?2 at the electrode layer thickness of 37 μm) and acceptable accumulated irreversible capacity of the composite-containing electrodes are achieved, due to the electrodes’ high density and stable silicon-containing electrode/electrolyte interface formation.     

Zinc tetrathiomolybdate as novel anodes for rechargeable lithium batteries

An ever first attempt has been made to investigate the anode performance characteristics of zinc tetrathiomolybdate. The poor crystallined zinc tetrathiomolybdate was prepared by precipitation method from Na₂MoO₄, ZnSO₄·7H₂O, and CH₃CSNH₂ as starting materials. Galvanostatic data in the voltage range of 0.01–2.0 V up to 20 cycles at a rate of 100 mA g⁻¹ revealed that the material gave high reversible capacities and good performance.     

Surface modified TiO2/reduced graphite oxide nanocomposite anodes for lithium ion batteries

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Anatase TiO2 nanoparticles with an average crystallite size of ~ 20 nm are synthesized through a sol-gel method. A composite anode for...     

Electrochemical performance of all solid-state fluoride-ion batteries based on thin-film electrolyte using alternative conductive additives and anodes

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - CaF2 and MgF2 were tested as active anode materials for solid-state fluoride-ion battery based on thin-film electrolyte. Tin oxide, indium tin oxide, and...     

In situ dispensing glue to prepare flexible Si-based anode for lithium-ion batteries

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Silicon (Si) is the most promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries. But the serious volume expansion effect occurred during the lithium-ion...     

Low-temperature synthesis of amorphous FeP2 and its use as anodes for Li ion batteries

The reaction of Fe(N(SiMe(3))(2))(3) with PH(3) in THF at 100 °C gives amorphous FeP(2) in high yield. As an anode material in a Li ion battery, this material shows remarkable performance toward electrochemical lithiation/delithation, with gravimetric discharge and charge capacities of 1258 and 766 mA h g(-1), respectively, translating to 61% reversibility on the first cycle and a discharge capacity of 906 mA h g(-1) after 10 cycles. This translates to 66% retention of the theoretical full conversion capacity of FeP(2) (1365 mA h g(-1)).     

Silicon-containing anodes with low accumulated irreversible capacity for lithium-ion batteries

Within the framework of the novel strategy of the arrangement of silicon particles in a rigid matrix framework, hybrid electrodes were fabricated from mixtures of synthetic graphite with small additions of nanosilicon/solid carbon and microsilicon, natural graphite/solid carbon composites. The electrode cycling parameters achieved (high loading capacity and low accumulated irreversible capacity) are due to high density of the electrodes and formation of stable electrode|electrolyte interface.     

Polythiophene-coated nano-silicon composite anodes with enhanced performance for lithium-ion batteries

Herein, a new polythiophene-coated silicon composite anode material was prepared by in situ chemical oxidation polymerization method. The structure of this material was characterized by infrared spectroscopy, which proved that the oxidative polymerization of thiophene occurred mainly in α position. The polythiophene can provide the better electric contact between silicon particles. Therefore, the as-prepared Si/polythiophene composite electrodes achieve better cycling performance than the bare Si anode. The specific capacity of the composite electrode retains 478 mA h g^?1 after 50 cycles.