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Elucidating in-Situ Lithiation Pathway of Si-C Composite Anode in Lithium Ion Battery

Tuesday, 31 May 2022
West Ballroom B/C/D (Vancouver Convention Center)
H. J. Lee (Advanced Analysis Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University), H. K. Kim (Advanced Analysis Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology), Y. W. Byeon (Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory), and J. P. Ahn (Advanced Analysis Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology)
Lithiation kinetics of a Si-C composite anode for high-capacity lithium-ion batteries were investigated through in-situ lithiation with electrochemical C-V measurements using a focused ion beam. Here, we found in the lithiation procedure that Li migrates sequentially into carbon (C), nanopores, and silicon (Si) in the Si-C composite. In the first lithiation step, Li was intercalated inside C particles while spreading over the surface of the C particles. The second lithiation process occurred through the filling of nanopores existing between electrode particles that consisted of the Si-C composite. The nanopores acted as a Li reservoir during the pore-filling process. Finally, the Si particles were litheated with a volume expansion of 173%, corresponding to a 400% volume expansion of 25wt.% Si particles included in the composite anode. The nanopores did not accommodate a large volume expansion of ~400% in Si particles, because pore-filling lithiation occurred before the Si lithiation in the charging process.