Understanding Electrochemical Properties for a Bio-Based Silicon Anode Electrode Enhanced with Carbon Nanostructure Conductive Additives and Water-Based Binders

Abstract

Lithium Ion batteries (LIB) demand has shown an exciting increase lately, particularly looking for light-weight solution for portable devices [1], [2]. Recently, The development and implementation of electrode material production techniques pushed the LIB's current state performance to further improvement. Silicon (Si) anode-based electrodes are considered an attractvie alternative to conventional graphite electrodes due to their high specific capacity [3]. Theoretically, Si could alloy with Li up to Li4.4Si and result in a specific capacity of 4200 mAh/g, where the mechanical stress within the electrode material causes loss in the conductivity and breaking of the cell. To overcome this issue, different methodologies have been tested for further improvement of Si implementation with different nanostructures [4]. On the other hand, the production rate of LIB is very important to meet the high demand for different technologies. and, a commercial Si grade is highly recommended along with the conventional tape-casting production method. Furthermore, water-based binders, such as Polyacrylic Acid and Carboxy methyl Cellulose (cellulose-based binders) plays an important role in electrode preparation, where it is supporting the volume expansion of Si and preserveing electrode morphology [5]. Herein, we focus on producing a high-quality Si electrode with cellulose binder, enhanced by conductive carbon allotrope additives. In this study, different Si grades will be tested with different concentrations along with conductive and binder [6]. Electrochemical characterization of the Si anode half cell , such as cycling, cyclic voltammetry, and Impedance spectroscopy vs Li+ metal shows extended and stabilized cycling performance, inferring a reduced anode pulverization.