Review of silicon-based alloys for lithium-ion battery anodes

Abstract

Silicon (Si) is widely considered to be the most attractive candidate anode material for use in next-generation high-energy-density lithium (Li)-ion batteries (LIBs) because it has a high theoretical gravimetric Li storage capacity, relatively low lithiation voltage, and abundant resources. Consequently, massive efforts have been exerted to improve its electrochemical performance. While some progress in this field has been achieved, a number of severe challenges, such as the element's large volume change during cycling, low intrinsic electronic conductivity, and poor rate capacity, have yet to be solved. Methods to solve these problems have been attempted via the development of nanosized Si materials. Unfortunately, reviews summarizing the work on Si-based alloys are scarce. Herein, the recent progress related to Si-based alloy anode materials is reviewed. The problems associated with Si anodes and the corresponding strategies used to address these problems are first described. Then, the available Si-based alloys are divided into Si/Li-active and inactive systems, and the characteristics of these systems are discussed. Other special systems are also introduced. Finally, perspectives and future outlooks are provided to enable the wider application of Sialloy anodes to commercial LIBs.

Microstructure Engineered Silicon Alloy Anodes for Lithium‐Ion Batteries: Advances and Challenges

“…Si‐based alloys have the advantages of maintaining the superior specific capacity of silicon and high initial Coulombic efficiency, as well as inhibiting volume changes to a certain extent [20,70] . In recent years, researchers have focused on developing silicon‐based alloy anodes with multi‐dimensional structures, such as nanowire structure, [81,82] porous structures, [83–85] and films [86–88] .…”

“…This increases the internal stress of the anode, resulting in the surface crack, fracture, and final pulverization of the electrode [17–19] . In addition, the considerable volume change leads to the formation of unstable solid electrolyte interface (SEI) films, eventually causing electrical contact failure inside the electrode and thereby the rapid decline of cycle life [7,18,20,21] . In this respect, researchers proposed versatile designs based on two‐dimensional (2D) and three‐dimensional (3D) architectures, such as 2D/3D network active materials, 3D conductive skeletons, and 3D collectors [22] .…”

The pursuit of commercial silicon-based microparticle anodes for advanced lithium-ion batteries: A review

“…Over the complete course of the phase-transition reaction, the two different two-phase regions result in inhomogeneous stress growth, which may lead to capacity fading. Therefore, maintaining the structural stability of Si during cycling is the key to advancing practical application [48].…”

Carboxyl Function Group Introduced to Polyimide Binders for Silicon Anode Materials

“…To meet the ever increasing demands of portable electronics requirement for higher energy and power densities, high-performance materials development is imperative for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Silicon anode materials show the brightest future owing to their super high theoretical capacity (4200 mAh g –1 for Li 22 Si 5 ), − relatively low discharge potential (∼0.4 V versus Li + /Li), − and rich abundance in the earth. − Nevertheless, the commercial application of silicon anode materials is still hindered with the challenges related to the huge volume expansion. − The solid electrolyte interface (SEI) and electrode structure are damaged due to tremendous volume change of silicon anode materials during Li + lithiation and delithiation processes, which seriously deteriorate the lifespan of the lithium-ion battery. − Various strategies have been adopted to ameliorate these issues, such as controlling the morphology of silicon anode materials, − using late-model electrode structures, − and employing high-performance binders. − …”