Scalable synthesis of ant-nest-like bulk porous silicon for high-performance lithium-ion battery anodes

Abstract

Although silicon is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries, scalable synthesis of silicon anodes with good cyclability and low electrode swelling remains a significant challenge. Herein, we report a scalable top-down technique to produce ant-nest-like porous silicon from magnesium-silicon alloy. The ant-nest-like porous silicon comprising three-dimensional interconnected silicon nanoligaments and bicontinuous nanopores can prevent pulverization and accommodate volume expansion during cycling resulting in negligible particle-level outward expansion. The carbon-coated porous silicon anode delivers a high capacity of 1,271 mAh g ⁻¹ at 2,100 mA g ⁻¹ with 90% capacity retention after 1,000 cycles and has a low electrode swelling of 17.8% at a high areal capacity of 5.1 mAh cm ⁻². The full cell with the prelithiated silicon anode and Li(Ni _1/3Co _1/3Mn _1/3)O ₂ cathode boasts a high energy density of 502 Wh Kg ⁻¹ and 84% capacity retention after 400 cycles. This work provides insights into the rational design of alloy anodes for high-energy batteries.

Abstract

Silicon is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries but experiences large volume changes during cycling. Here the authors report a scalable method to synthesize porous ant-nest-like silicons. The unique structure of this anode solves the swelling problem and enables impressive performance.