Categories: News

by Andrea Ingenito, Sufu Liu (CSEM)

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Categories: News

by Andrea Ingenito, Sufu Liu (CSEM)

January 27, 2025

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Silicon is widely recognised as one of the most promising alternatives to graphite anodes in high-energy-density batteries. With its high theoretical capacity, silicon offers the potential to revolutionise energy storage. However, its practical application has been hindered by significant challenges, including:

  • Huge volume expansion during cycling.
  • Unstable electrode interphase formation.
  • Short cycle life, which limits long-term performance.

To address these issues, one of PHOENIX partners, CSEM, has developed an innovative in-situ polymer electrolyte with self-healing properties. This solution stabilises the electrode interphase and effectively mitigates the volume expansion of silicon material during battery operation.

How it works

The technology relies on a specially designed liquid precursor solution containing:

  • A monomer and cross-linker for polymer formation.
  • Li salt for ion conductivity.
  • An initiator to start the polymerisation process.

The solution is injected into the dry cell, where it wets the internal components. Heating the cell initiates radical polymerisation, forming an in-situ self-healing polymer electrolyte. This electrolyte dynamically stabilises the silicon-based anode during operation, enhancing its overall performance.

Key benefits

  1. Improved stability: the self-healing properties help maintain a stable electrode interphase.
  2. Volume change mitigation: the polymer electrolyte restrains the significant volume expansion of silicon material.
  3. Enhanced performance: the 200 mAh SiOx-graphite//NMC pouch cell demonstrated:
    • Excellent rate performance.
    • Long-term capacity retention.

This approach represents a significant advancement in silicon-based battery technology, paving the way for more efficient and durable batteries. With improved performance and stability, silicon anodes are moving closer to becoming a practical solution for next-generation energy storage systems.

silicon-based anodes

Figures: (a) The self-healing property test of the designed thermally triggered polymer electrolyte (b) The long-term cycling performance of the 200 mAh SiOx-graphite//NMC pouch cell with the self-healing polymer electrolyte.

Cover image credits: Photo by Patrick on Unsplash

Image credits: CSEM x PHOENIX project

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