Abstract

Anode design is a crucial factor for the further development of lithium-ion battery (LIB) technology, especially in terms of achieving high charging rate performance, as typically needed in electric vehicles (EV). In the present work, a unique battery test cell was designed and fabricated to study in-situ the mechanical behaviour of the silicon nanowire electrode during electrochemical lithiation using synchrotron X-ray microdiffraction. Modelling of the nanostructured anode was also performed to provide further understanding of the in-situ findings. The combined approach provides further in-depth understanding of the evolution of the mechanics in the silicon nanowires (1D nanostructure) during operation of the battery, and furthermore show the path for potentially enhancing the performance of the device. 3D nanostructures have been identified as the key to dramatically enhanced kinetics performance of LIB. However, existing fabrication methodologies for 3D nanostructures are inherently expensive – using advanced lithography techniques or other nanopatterning methodologies, as well as using additive manufacturing approaches. Electrospinning (as an integrated additive manufacturing methodology) may be used to produce low-cost 3D-printed fiber structures. This would pave the way to achieve the order of magnitude increase in battery kinetics as needed to realize the vision of the sustainable transportation.

Abstract

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