Silicon/Carbon Nano-Hybrid Lithium-Ion Battery Anode: Green Facile Scalable Synthesis Inspired by Thermosetting Polymers

Project Information

LIB-Si anode

Grant agreement ID: 655881

DOI

10.3030/655881

Project closed

EC signature date 11 March 2015

Start date 14 September 2015

End date 13 September 2017

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 195 454,80

EU contribution

€ 195 454,80

Coordinated by

THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
United Kingdom

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - LIB-Si anode (Silicon/Carbon Nano-Hybrid Lithium-Ion Battery Anode: Green Facile Scalable Synthesis Inspired by Thermosetting Polymers)

Reporting period: 2015-09-14 to 2017-09-13

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Si is regarded as one of the most promising next-generation lithium-ion battery anode to replace commercial graphite based anode due to its exceptional theoretical capacity, appropriate voltage profile, and huge abundance. However, it drastic volume expansion causes poor cyclic performance, which has significantly limited its wide applications. It is crucial to develop new concepts and strategies to improve the electrochemical performance including cyclic and rate performance of the silicon based lithium-ion battery anode.

Lithium-ion battery is one of the most important energy storage media widely used currently. However, it suffers from serious drawbacks of the graphite based anode including inferior energy capacity and serious safety concern. It is both scientifically and practically important to develop new generation of lithium-ion battery anode with high capacity, energy density, reasonable cost, and good operation safety.Compared to graphite, silicon holds great potential to be the new generation of lithium-ion battery anode. Developing cutting edge technology for high performance silicon based lithium-ion battery anode and understanding the fundamentally scientific principle will significantly advance the practical application of the lithium-ion battery.

The overall objectives of the project are to develop facile scalable synthetic strategies to improve the cyclic and/or rate performance of the silicon based lithium-ion battery anode, acquire knowledge and mechanism about the structure control, structure-property correlation of the silicon anode. With the knowledge obtained from this project, it would be beneficial and inspiring for developing high performance silicon anode within this area.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The research work of this project is focused on synthesis and application of the silicon based lithium-ion battery anode. Fundamental mechanism studies on the performance improvement of the silicon anode are carried out. Firstly, comprehensive literature review on the silicon based lithium-ion battery anode is performed with a chronicle perspective to better elucidate the background of the development of the silicon anode. Secondly, silicon based anode with different morphology and structures are synthesized based on thermosetting polymers, followed by systematic structure characterization. Thirdly, silicon based lithium-ion battery electrodes with different compositions are fabricated and the electrochemical performance, particularly, the cyclic stability is characterized. Fourthly, the impact of the different factors including morphology, and binder on the cyclic performance is investigated in a comprehensive way. Fifthly, the mechanism for performance improvement brought by the morphology, and binder is investigated and further studies will be continued.

The results of the project so far can be summarized briefly as following: 1. Establishing synthetic methods for silicon/carbon composite based on thermosetting polymer and nanostructured silicon anode with significantly improved rate or cyclic performance. 2. Identifying possible role and working mechanism of the high performance water based binder for silicon based lithium-ion battery anode with good cyclic performance. 3. Performing comprehensive literature review on the history of the research on the silicon based lithium-ion battery anode over last thirty years for the first time and writing a review article. Three peer-reviewed papers have been published (Nano Energy 2017, ACS Nano 2017, and ACS Nano 2018). The results about the binder will possibly overturn the common knowledge well accepted by the lithium-ion battery community, which is fundamentally novel. Further studies are being continued. The outcome on the nanostructured silicon and silicon/carbon composite studies will provide facile scalable and practically relevant ways to synthesize silicon based anode with improved electrochemical performance.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Studies on the synthesis of high performance silicon anode based on thermosetting polymer provide facile scalable ways to synthesize silicon anode with competitive performance, which is scientifically inspiring and practically useful for the whole lithium-ion battery area.The work on the binder effect throughout this project is fundamentally novel and it may overturn the well-accepted common knowledge within the lithium-ion battery community. Huge impact is expected and deep insights on the role of the water based binder for the silicon based lithium-ion battery anode are to be obtained. Based on the knowledge acquired through this project, studies on developing high performance silicon based lithium-ion battery will be promoted significantly. Practical application of the silicon based anode for lithium-ion batteries with high energy densities is to be advanced forward.

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