Controlling electric potential to inhibit solid-electrolyte interphase formation on nanowire anodes for ultrafast lithium-ion batteries

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 3461 - 8
• Main Authors: Chang, Won Jun, Kim, Su Han, Hwang, Jiseon, Chang, Jinho, Yang, Dong won, Kwon, Sun Sang, Kim, Jin Tae, Lee, Won Woo, Lee, Jae Hyung, Park, Hyunjung, Song, Taeseup, Lee, In-Hwan, Whang, Dongmok, Il Park, Won
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 27-08-2018; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 119/118; 140/133; 140/146; 142/126; 147/135; 147/143; 639/4077/4079/891; 639/638/161/891; Anodes; Batteries; Electric control; Electric potential; Electrodes; Electrolytes; Fatigue; Graphene; Humanities and Social Sciences; Intermetallic compounds; Interphase; Lithium; Lithium-ion batteries; multidisciplinary; Nanotechnology; Nanowires; Rechargeable batteries; Retention; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Silicides; Strain relaxation
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05986-9

With increasing demand for high-capacity and rapidly rechargeable anodes, problems associated with unstable evolution of a solid-electrolyte interphase on the active anode surface become more detrimental. Here, we report the near fatigue-free, ultrafast, and high-power operations of lithium-ion battery anodes employing silicide nanowires anchored selectively to the inner surface of graphene-based micro-tubular conducting electrodes. This design electrically shields the electrolyte inside the electrode from an external potential load, eliminating the driving force that generates the solid-electrolyte interphase on the nanowire surface. Owing to this electric control, a solid-electrolyte interphase develops firmly on the outer surface of the graphene, while solid-electrolyte interphase-free nanowires enable fast electronic and ionic transport, as well as strain relaxation over 2000 cycles, with 84% capacity retention even at ultrafast cycling (>20C). Moreover, these anodes exhibit unprecedentedly high rate capabilities with capacity retention higher than 88% at 80C (vs. the capacity at 1C).
Lithium-based rechargeable batteries suffer from unstable evolution of solid-electrolyte interphase on the electrode surface. Here, the authors provide an approach to inhibiting SEI formation by controlling electric potential distribution across electrolyte and electrode.