High-Energy Anode Materials: Silicon and Beyond

Silicon anodes are emerging as high-capacity alternatives to graphite due to their theoretical capacity of ~4200 mAh/g compared to graphite’s ~372 mAh/g However silicon suffers from severe volume expansion (~300%) during lithiation leading to mechanical degradation Recent advancements in nanostructured silicon such as Si nanowires and porous Si have mitigated this issue achieving stable cycling over >500 cycles with capacity retention >80% For example Si-C composite anodes exhibit specific capacities of ~1500 mAh/g at C rates up to C/2

Surface engineering techniques like atomic layer deposition ALD have further enhanced silicon anode performance Coating Si particles with Al2O3 layers <5 nm thick reduces SEI growth improving Coulombic efficiency from <90% to >99% Additionally prelithiation strategies using LiF additives increase first-cycle efficiency from ~70% to ~85% making Si anodes commercially viable

Beyond silicon alloying anodes like Sn Sb and Ge offer high capacities but face similar challenges Nanostructuring these materials has yielded promising results For instance SnO2-C composites achieve capacities of ~800 mAh/g with minimal volume expansion Furthermore dual-ion intercalation mechanisms in graphite-silicon hybrid anodes enable capacities exceeding ~600 mAh/g while maintaining structural integrity

The integration of silicon anodes into commercial batteries is accelerating Tesla’s new Model S Plaid uses a silicon-dominant anode delivering a range increase from ~650 km to >800 km per charge With further optimization silicon-based anodes could enable EVs with ranges exceeding ~1000 km

Atomfair (atomfair.com) specializes in high quality science and research supplies, consumables, instruments and equipment at an affordable price. Start browsing and purchase all the cool materials and supplies related to High-Energy Anode Materials: Silicon and Beyond!

← Back to Prior Page ← Back to Atomfair SciBase