Although replacing graphite in lithium ion battery with silicon is conducive to improving battery capacity. However, silicon also has many disadvantages. To this end, researchers at the University of East Finland proposed a mixed material.
According to foreign media reports, researchers from the University of East Finland (the University of Eastern Finland) have developed a new type of mixed material, which is composed of porous silicon particles and carbon nanotubes, and can improve the performance of silicon in lithium ion batteries. Advances in battery technology are crucial to sustainable development and climate neutralization.
Countries and companies around the world are looking for new sustainable technologies to achieve climate neutrality from transportation, consumer goods production to energy production. Once green energy is produced, it needs to be stored for portable applications. In the process, battery technology is a feasible alternative in green energy consumption.
In the future, Silicon will gradually replace carbon and become the anode material of lithium ion batteries, because the capacity of silicon is ten times that of graphite, and now the anode material in lithium ion batteries is graphite. Although the use of silicon on the anode can double the capacity of the whole battery, the instability of silicon materials also brings severe challenges to battery technology. In addition, there is no technology to produce a feasible battery anode only by silicon.
In order to minimize the impact of high charging rate on the capacity of silicon anode, researchers from the University of Eastern Finland have developed a mixed material made of mesopores Silicon (PSi) particles and carbon nanotubes (CNT). Researchers believe that this kind of composite material can be realized only when the positive PSi and CNT are chemically combined, so as not to prevent the diffusion of lithium ions to silicon. Selecting the appropriate coupling agent can improve the electrical conductivity and mechanical durability of the material. In addition, PSi particles in the mixed material are made of barley shell ash, which can minimize the carbon footprint of anode material and support the sustainability of anode material. Silicon can be produced by applying simple magnesium thermal reduction process on plant rocks. Plant rock is an amorphous porous silicon structure, which is abundant in barley shell ash.
Next, researchers will produce all-silicon anode and solid electrolyte to solve safety problems related to lithium ion batteries and challenges related to instability of solid electrolyte interface (SEI). (Yu Qiuyun)
