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Updated: Jul 10, 2026
10:03
Characterization of Electrode Materials for Lithium Ion and Sodium Ion Batteries Using Synchrotron Radiation Techniques
Published on: November 11, 2013
A lithium-ion conductive polymeric coating enables high-performance silicon anodes
Kang Lu1, Kevin Velasquez Carballo1, Taohedul Islam1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA. xbmeng@uark.edu.
Dalton Transactions (Cambridge, England : 2003)
|July 8, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed a novel polymer coating for silicon anodes in lithium-ion batteries. This coating enhances stability and capacity, addressing key challenges for electric vehicle batteries.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Battery Technology
Background:
- Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are dominant in portable electronics but face limitations for transportation applications.
- Silicon (Si) anodes offer high capacity and cost-effectiveness but suffer from volume changes during cycling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address the volume change issue in silicon anodes for LIBs.
- To develop a protective coating for silicon electrodes using molecular layer deposition (MLD).
Main Methods:
- Conformal coating of silicon electrodes with a lithium-containing cross-linked polymer (LiGL).
- Deposition via molecular layer deposition (MLD) using lithium tert-butoxide (LTB) and glycerol (GL) precursors.
- Electrochemical cycling and characterization of coated silicon electrodes.
Main Results:
- LiGL-coated Si electrodes achieved a reversible capacity of ~838 mAh g⁻¹ after 100 cycles at 0.1C.
- The LiGL coating acted as an ion-conductive artificial solid electrolyte interphase (SEI).
- The coating protected Si electrodes from undesirable reactions and accommodated volume changes, improving mechanical integrity.
Conclusions:
- A novel MLD-based polymer coating effectively enhances the performance and stability of silicon anodes.
- This approach offers a promising solution for developing next-generation batteries for transportation.
- MLD presents a versatile technique for addressing challenges in advanced battery materials.
