Theoretical progresses in silicon anode substitutes for Lithium-ion batteries

• Published in: Journal of energy storage 2022-11, Vol.55, p.105352, Article 105352
• Main Authors: Chadha, Utkarsh, Hafiz, Mohammed, Bhardwaj, Preetam, Padmanaban, Sanjeevikumar, Sinha, Sanyukta, Hariharan, Sai, Kabra, Dikshita, Venkatarangan, Vishal, Khanna, Mayank, Selvaraj, Senthil Kumaran, Banavoth, Murali, Sonar, Prashant, Badoni, Badrish, R, Vimala
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Additives; Binders; Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs); Nanomaterials; Solid electrolyte interphase layer (SEI layer)
• ISSN: 2352-152X; 2352-1538
• DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2022.105352

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become the preferred power source for various consumer devices such as electronic gadgets due to their high energy density and extended cycle life. Generally, graphite is used as an anode material due to its flat voltage plateau and economic viability. However, in addition to graphite's limited capacity, certain difficulties limit its future perspectives for usage in sophisticated batteries. Silicon has rather shown remarkable potential as a replacement for graphite mainly because of its high theoretical gravimetric capacity. Moreover, the capability of inserting/de-inserting lithium ions is way more in Si than graphite in current LIBs. However, it is seen that after a few cycles of charge and discharge, they get vulnerable to pulverizing mainly due to expansion of volume which happens during the alloying/dealloying. These issues can be addressed by incorporating novel mechanisms. Improvements in the anodes can be brought by binders, additives, composite electrodes, nanomaterials, and electrolyte solvents, to name a few. The solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is another factor that needs to be taken into account. This review aims to enhance the effectiveness of the anode using the methodologies mentioned and extend this very strategy to design futuristic anode materials for LIBs in the future. •The research efforts in the development of Si-based electrodes are stressed and its large-scale applications in high energy density LIBs owing to silicon's high specific capacity.•The major obstacle is Si’s higher volumetric changes and formation of SEI. Thus, the strategies for the optimizing the stability of the electrode has been highlighted.•Additives and polymer-based composites are added, or coated on the electrode to increase the performance of the battery and makes it suitable for various applications. Redox shuffle additives should be reversible at high voltage.•Silicon nanostructures have recently sparked widespread interest due to their capacity to accommodate significant volume changes.•To avoid Si suffering from a capacity loss due to the volume shift, Si can be coupled with CNTs. They are electrochemically very stable due to their small diameter and large surface area. This enhances their application in energy storage.