High capacity group-IV elements (Si, Ge, Sn) based anodes for lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

Tremendous efforts have been devoted to replace commercial graphite anode (372 mAh g−1) by group IV elements (Si, Ge, Sn) based-materials with high capacities in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The use of these materials is hampered by the pulverization of these particles due to the high volumetric change during lithiation and delithiation cycles, which leads to particles pulverization and destabilization of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) films. These problems result in fast capacity fading and low Coulombic efficiency. Nanostructured materials show significant improvements in rate capability and cyclability due to their high surface-to-volume ratio, reduced Li+ diffusion length, and increased freedom associated with the volume change during cycling. However, the nanostructured active materials with high ratio of surface-to-volume increase the irreversible capacity due to the formation of more SEI films. Although the nanostructured materials active materials keep relatively stable during repeated cycles of lithiation/delithiation process, the SEI film continually breaks/reforms, lowing the Coulombic efficiency. Meanwhile, the high-cost, low Coulombic efficiency and low tapping density limit the commercialization of the nanostructured electrode materials. Therefore, it is urgent to find solutions which could take advantage of both long cycle life of nanomaterials within the group IV elements (Si, Ge, Sn) and high volumetric/gravimetric capacity of micro-materials in the group IV as well as elements (Si, Ge, Sn). This report presents an overview of the recently developed strategies for improving the group IV elements (Si, Ge, Sn)-based anodes performances in LIBs to provide a further insight understanding in designing novel anodes.