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Engineering a Low-Strain Si@TiSi2@NC Composite for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries
Wen Zhang1, Wanming Li1, Siwei Gui1
1State Key Laboratory of Material Processing and Die & Mould Technology, Department of Mechanics, School of Aerospace Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|May 7, 2024
Summary
Engineered silicon-titanium disilicide-carbon composites (Si@TiSi2@NC) significantly improve lithium-ion battery anodes by minimizing silicon volume expansion, enhancing stability and performance for next-generation energy storage.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Silicon anodes offer high theoretical capacity for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) but suffer from significant volume changes during cycling.
- This volume expansion/contraction leads to particle cracking and pulverization, limiting the practical application of silicon in LIBs.
- Developing low-strain, stable silicon-based composite materials is crucial for advancing LIB technology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer a novel low-strain and highly stable silicon-based composite material for LIB anodes.
- To address the challenges of volume expansion, cracking, and pulverization in silicon anodes.
- To enhance the electrochemical performance and cycling stability of silicon anodes.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a Si@TiSi2@NC composite by creating a titanium disilicide (TiSi2) interface on silicon (Si) particles via high-temperature calcination.
- Introduction of an outermost carbon (C) shell to form the Si@TiSi2@NC structure.
- Electrochemical characterization of the Si@TiSi2@NC composite as an anode material in LIBs and evaluation in a full cell configuration.
Main Results:
- The TiSi2 interface effectively mitigated particle cracking and pulverization by restraining stress/strain during lithiation/delithiation.
- The Si@TiSi2@NC electrode demonstrated high initial reversible capacity (2172.7 mAh g-1 at 0.2 A g-1) and excellent rate capability (1198.4 mAh g-1 at 2.0 A g-1).
- Exceptional long-term cycling stability was achieved (847.0 mAh g-1 after 1000 cycles at 2.0 A g-1), with a full cell retaining 90.1% capacity after 160 cycles.
Conclusions:
- The engineered Si@TiSi2@NC composite presents a promising low-strain anode material for high-performance and stable lithium-ion batteries.
- The TiSi2 interface plays a critical role in enhancing structural integrity and electrochemical transport.
- This composite material significantly overcomes the limitations of traditional silicon anodes, paving the way for advanced energy storage solutions.
