Spheres of Graphene and Carbon Nanotubes Embedding Silicon as Mechanically Resilient Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Xu, Jinhui; Yin, Qingyang; Li, Xinru; Tan, Xinyi; Liu, Qian; Lu, Xing; Cao, Bocheng; Yuan, Xintong et al. · Nano Lett · 2022

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Novel anode materials for lithium-ion batteries were synthesized by <i>in situ</i> growth of spheres of graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) around silicon particles. These composites possess high electrical conductivity and mechanical resiliency, which can sustain the high-pressure calendering process in industrial electrode fabrication, as well as the stress induced during charging and discharging of the electrodes. The resultant electrodes exhibit outstanding cycling durability (∼90% capacity retention at 2 A g<sup>-1</sup> after 700 cycles or a capacity fading rate of 0.014% per cycle), calendering compatibility (sustain pressure over 100 MPa), and adequate volumetric capacity (1006 mAh cm<sup>-3</sup>), providing a novel design strategy toward better silicon anode materials.