Advanced Materials: Chinese researchers have made new progress in the industrial application of lithium battery silicon anode
Recently, inspired by the honeycomb, Li Xianglong's research team at the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor Zhi Linjie of China University of Petroleum (East China) proposed a top-down micron silicon structuring strategy (isotropic channelization regulated by dual covalent interface). Through the lithiation, delithiation, and dopamine modification of micron silicon, the researchers prepared carbon-silicon hybrid microparticles composed of honeycomb-shaped radially arranged silicon nanosheets and dual covalently controlled coating of polydopamine-derived carbon, achieving isotropic channelization and controllable interface solidification of micron silicon and making progress in the practical application of silicon negative electrodes for lithium-ion batteries. The relevant results were published in Advanced Materials.
Carbon-silicon hybrid microparticles and lithium storage performance based on interfacial double covalent regulation of isotropic channelization strategy
Silicon is attractive for lithium-ion batteries and other batteries, but its volume changes greatly during cycling. Among many material design and engineering schemes, the hierarchical strategy shows promise - hierarchical structuring helps to improve tap density and volume energy density and improve material processing performance, but the lack of control over unit construction and arrangement limits the improvement of stability at the practical level.
In this study, through the lithiation, delithiation and dopamine modification of micron silicon, the researchers prepared carbon-silicon hybrid microparticles composed of honeycomb radially arranged silicon nanosheets and polydopamine-derived carbon double covalently controlled coating, realizing isotropic channelization and interface controllable solidification of micron silicon. Unlike existing strategies, it involves isotropic channelization through honeycomb radial arrangement of silicon nanosheets and channel consolidation through controlled double bond bonding of silicon and carbon. Through experiments, the concept of nitrogen-doped carbon double-bond silicon honeycomb microparticles, especially with medium-density CN-Si and CO-Si bonds, showed impressive stable cycling at high rates and industrial-scale loads. This provides new ideas and new ways for the rational design and large-scale manufacturing of high-performance silicon and other energy storage particles with industrial application characteristics.
