Energy Storage Science and Technology ›› 2021, Vol. 10 ›› Issue (1): 118-127.doi: 10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2020.0248

• Energy Storage Materials and Devices • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Exploring mechanism of carbon nanotubes as conductive agent for improving performance of a silicon/carbon anode in LIB

Youman ZHAO(), Xiaobo YAN, Hongkun DUAN, Zewei CHEN   

  1. Chuangming Battery Technology Co. Ltd. , Dongguan 523808, Guangdong, China
  • Received:2020-07-14 Revised:2020-07-30 Online:2021-01-05 Published:2021-01-08

Abstract:

LIBs have been widely used in consumer electronics, electric vehicles, and large-scale energy storage grids. The next generation of LIBs, with silicon/carbon as the anode, will exhibit higher energy density. Nevertheless, the large volume expansion, the particle pulverization, the separation of the active material and the current collector, and the unstable SEI of the silicon anode hinder its large-scale application. Here, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with high conductivity and an easily formed conductive network are used as the conductive agent, significantly improving the cycle life of the battery (the capacity retention after 500 cycles is 92%). Through the differential electrochemical curves, EIS, DCIR, SEM and XPS, it is found that CNTs can limit the capacity degradation of an SiO anode in the initial several cycles by improving the conductivity of the battery and the stability of the interface. It can be predicted that CNTs will also play a positive role in improving the performance of other electrode materials in LIBs.

Key words: lithium ion battery, silicon/carbon anode, carbon nanotubes, conductivity

CLC Number: