Performance improvement of poly(acrylic acid) binder-based silicon/graphite composite anodes by room temperature electron beam irradiation-induced crosslinking

• Published in: Radiation physics and chemistry (Oxford, England : 1993) England : 1993), 2022-07, Vol.196, p.110107, Article 110107
• Main Authors: Sohn, Joon-Yong, Kim, Gwangjin, Hwang, In-Tae, Shin, Junhwa, Jung, Chan-Hee, Lee, Young-Moo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acrylics; Anodes; Crosslinking; Electron beam induced crosslinking; Electron beams; Electron irradiation; Graphite; Lithium secondary battery; Methylene bisacrylamide; Methylenebisacrylamide (MBA); Performance enhancement; poly(acrylic acid) (PAA); Polyacrylic acid; Radiation dosage; Room temperature; Silicon; Silicon/graphite composite anode; Stability tests; Structural stability; Tensile strength
• ISSN: 0969-806X; 1879-0895
• DOI: 10.1016/j.radphyschem.2022.110107

In this study, we demonstrated that the enhanced performance of poly(acrylic acid) binder-based silicon/graphite composite anode (c-PAA-Si/C) can be achieved by a quick, scalable, and solid-state electron beam irradiation-induced crosslinking in the presence of methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as a water-soluble crosslinker. The result from analysis of an irradiated PAA binder film revealed that the PAA was completely crosslinked by the electron beam irradiation at the absorbed dose of 30 kGy in the presence of 10 wt% MBA, thereby leading to the much reduced swelling degree and improved tensile strength. Likewise, the c-PAA-Si/C-30 anode (irradiated at absorbed dose of 30 kGy) possessed higher hardness than the non-irradiated PAA-Si/C-0 probably due to the effective formation of the crosslinked structure. Moreover, based on the coin-type half cell performance and cycle stability test, the c-PAA-Si/C-30 anode-based cell exhibited the better retention capacity at 100 cycles than that of the PAA-Si/C-0-based one. The EIS and FE-SEM results showed that this better cycling performance could be ascribed to the crosslinked structure-induced structural stability. •PAA-based Si/C anode was crosslinked by e-beam irradiation in the presence of MBA.•The hardness of the crosslinked Si/C anode was greater improved than non-irradiated one.•The crosslinked anode-based cell exhibited the enhanced capacity retention as well.•This solid-state room temperature crosslinking enables the longer-lasting Si anode.