Centrifugal Spinning: An Alternative for Large Scale Production of Silicon–Carbon Composite Nanofibers for Lithium Ion Battery Anodes

Abstract

Composites made of silicon nanostructures in carbon matrixes are promising materials for anodes in Li ion batteries given the synergistic storage capacity of silicon combined with the chemical stability and electrical conductivity of carbonaceous materials. This work presents the development of Si/C composite fine fiber mats produced by carbonization of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/Si composites. PVA has a high carbon content (ca. 54.5%) and, being water-soluble, it promotes the development of environmentally friendly materials. Si nanoparticles were dispersed in PVA solutions and transformed into fine fibers using a centrifugal spinning technique given its potential for large scale production. The Si/PVA fibers mats were then subjected to dehydration by exposing them to sulfuric acid vapor. The dehydration improved the thermal and chemical stability of the PVA matrix, allowing further carbonization at 800 °C. The resulting Si/C composite fibers produced binder-free anodes for lithium ion batteries that delivered specific discharge and charge capacities of 952 mA h g and 862 mA g, respectively, with a Columbic efficiency of 99% after 50 cycles.

Centrifugally spun carbon fibers prepared from aqueous poly(vinylpyrrolidone) solutions as binder‐free anodes in lithium‐ion batteries

“…Therefore, researchers and industry have turned their attention to less hazardous and more environmentally benign alternatives, such as PVP and PVA precursor fibers. Both PVP and PVA, in contrast to PAN, are water‐soluble and have been recently used in energy storage applications, 11,15,16,1718,19 . PVP, particularly, is considered a potential carbon precursor alternative to produce CF anodes due to its low cost.…”

“…For example, centrifugally spun Si/C composite‐fiber anodes prepared by centrifugal spinning of aqueous Si/PVA precursor solutions and subsequent heat treatment delivered a steady capacity of 758 mAh g −1 after 50 cycles, while PVA‐derived CFs delivered 178 mAh g −1. 16 Similarly, Si/C composite nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning of aqueous Si/ PVA solutions and subsequent heat treatment for use as a binder‐free anode in LIBs. In that work, the Si/C composite nanofibers were enclosed in folded graphene to constrain the volume expansion of the anode after repeated charge/discharge cycles.…”

Fabrication of centrifugally spun prepared poly(lactic acid)/gelatin/ciprofloxacin nanofibers for antimicrobial wound dressing

“…Centrifugal spinning, a newly developed method for generating micro to nanobers, has unique advantages including low cost, rapid production, wide materials choice, highly aligned nano-bers, and is independent of the electric eld when compared with electrospinning. [1][2][3] During the centrifugal spinning process, the spinning solution is ejected from the needle to form a jet when the centrifugal force generated by the direct current motor is greater than a critical value determined by the balance between the surface tension of the liquid and the centrifugal force. The jet then undergoes a stretching process, accompanied by rapid evaporation of the solvent, and is eventually deposited on the collectors forming dried nanobers.…”

PA6 Nanofibre Production: A Comparison between Rotary Jet Spinning and Electrospinning

“…Many reviews [2][3][4][5] into nanofibres have been published which investigate ever more uses for these amazing materials from many production methods. The applications that show significant promise for these materials include biomedical applications (drug delivery and tissue engineering scaffolds) [6][7][8][9], energy storage devices (lithium ion batteries) [10][11][12], and also air and water filtration applications [13][14][15]. Polymer nanofibres possess a very high surface area to volume ratio resulting in attractive applications where this property is advantageous.…”