Applications and Improving Methods of Silicon Nanowires in Lithium-ion Batteries

Abstract

Silicon has been considered as a crucial electrode material for the gradually adaptation of lithium-ion batteries into electrical-vehicle market and further utilizations of the next generation batteries, since silicon anodes can provide both commercial-friendly energy density and excellent cycle stability. Although much progress has been made in the research on silicon nano-negative electrodes, there is a lack of concentrated discussion on the development status and problems of silicon nanowires, especially in consideration of the fact that the 1-D nanowire structure presents an excellent property on volume change. Focusing on the research of Si-NWs structure, this paper will go through the preparation progress and electrochemical performance of Si-NWs, and analyse the new research direction of Si anode fabrication improvement. Attention is also paid to the shortcomings of Si nanowires in improving area capacity and maintaining stable SEI layer. To solve the mentioned problems, latest research progress such as branched silicon structure and fabrics made of nanowires are taken into consideration, aiming to provide more insights for fabricating new Si nanostructures in LIBs. This paper is expected to help researchers better carry out further work on structure and process by summarizing the research progress of silicon nanowires in LIBs and provide inspiration for other research directions.