Metal-Catalyzed Nanostructured Silicon Films as Potential Anodes for Flexible Rechargeable Batteries

Abstract

Nanostructured Si is touted to be an inexpensive, safe, and high-capacity anode for advanced thin-film batteries. However, the synthesis of crystalline Si generally requires high temperatures, which limits the choice of substrates. In this study, we synthesized nanostructured Si layers at low temperatures by combining metalcatalyzed crystal growth and etching. The lower crystallinity and finer nanostructures in Si improved the anode characteristics of Li-ion batteries. The capacity of the Si anode reached approximately 3200 mAh g −1 at 0.1 C and 2000 mAh g −1 at 1 C. Further, the low process temperature enabled the fabrication of a Si layer of the same quality on a flexible plastic substrate while maintaining the flexibility. This low-temperature synthesis of nanostructured Si anodes is therefore expected to pioneer the next generation of human-friendly flexible rechargeable batteries.

Silicon Nanoparticles Wrapped in a Double-Layer Coating of Chitin-Derived Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanosheet and Pitch-Based Carbon Enabling Efficient Lithium Storage

“…In recent years, researchers have focused on addressing the lithium storage mechanism and performance degradation issues related to Si-based anode materials. Solution strategies include reducing the size of silicon particles, synthesizing composite materials, and engineering the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) membrane interface. ,− Silicon compound with a material having good electrical conductivity not only limits the volume expansion of silicon but also improves the overall electronic conductivity. Among them, two-dimensional materials like graphene and MXene have attracted considerable attention due to their large specific surface area, high mechanical strength, and abundant active sites.…”

Synthesis of Silicon and Germanium Oxide Nanostructures via Photonic Curing; a Facile Approach to Scale Up Fabrication

“…reported low temperature nanostructured silicon films for lithium‐ion batteries with enhanced capacity of 3200 mAhg −1 at 0.1 C rate amenable to flexible anodes for rechargeable batteries. [40] Ge‐based nanoparticles also possess interesting properties, such as high refractive index, narrow band gap, high ion intercalation capacity, low toxicity, and high charge carrier mobilities. [41] Ge nanoparticles gained attention in the research area because of their wide range of applications in energy storage, bioimaging and optoelectronics etc.…”