Novel Si Nanostructure Material for Lithium-ion Battery Anode

To obtain a noticeable improvement in the specific capacity of Li-ion battery, the conventional carbonaceous anode needs to be replaced with anodes having higher energy capacity. Si is far ahead of the other metals or metalloids in terms of high energy capacity; however, practical implementation using Si as an anode is hampered by the complete disintegration during the charge/discharge process and poor material cycle-ability. These problems are attributed to the significant volume changes that occur during charge/discharge process, resulting in poor mechanical stability and structural break-down. In order to overcome these challenges and develop Li-ion batteries with excellent charge rate capabilities and high power densities, we propose a novel nanostructured Si electrode and fabrication process that will effectively prevent particle aggravation during the charge/discharge cycle while providing high electronic conduction and mitigate structural damage that otherwise would be expected from large structural variations.