Three-dimensional porous composite microspheres of LiFePO4 and nitrogen-doped graphene have been synthesized by a solvothermal process coupled with subsequent calcination.
The cyclic stability of Si anodes
is still a great challenge for
high-performance lithium-ion batteries due to the huge volume change.
In this work, the continuous volume expansion of the Si anode and
individual nanoparticles during cycling is deeply investigated by
various visualization observations, and it is effectively suppressed
by an artificial solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) consisting of
inner polydopamine and outer natural SEI. Visualization characterization
unveils the mechanism of action of the artificial SEI in Si nanoparticles.
Specifically, repeated plastic deformation causes the transformation
from amorphous Si into clusters accompanied by interstitial space,
which induces continuous volume expansion, and the high-modulus artificial
SEI accommodates plastic deformation of Si clusters during cycling,
holding the structural integrity of Si nanoparticles. The anode of
Si nanoparticles anchored on expanded graphite with such artificial
SEI achieves its theoretical specific capacity and maintains a discharge
capacity close to 80% of the maximum (983 mAh g–1), with little fading after 500 cycles. This work not only expands
upon the understanding of plastic deformation and SEI but also provides
some valuable information for the rational design of Si-based active
materials.
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