Temperature Influence on Silicon-Based Anodes for Li-Ion Batteries
Authors: Piernas-Muñoz María José , Trask Stephen E. , Dunlop Alison R , Bloom Ira 
Published: February 2020

Nowadays, with the aim of reducing the pollution derived from the utilization of fossil fuel powered cars, the environmentally friendly hybrid (HEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) are gaining importance[1], [2]. Although EVs already circulate on the roads, the search for next-generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with larger specific capacity and, therefore, higher energy density is necessary to achieve similar driving performance (e.g., range and power) to those provided by internal combustion engines.

A strategy to upgrade the specific capacity of current LIBs consists of replacing graphite, the anode par excellence in this technology, with other materials that can supply much larger capacities[3], [4]. In this sense, silicon is postulated as one of the most promising anode materials, since it is capable of delivering a capacity (~3579 mAh/g) almost 10 times larger than that of graphite (~370 mAh/g)[5], [6]. Additionally, silicon is the second most abundant element in the earth’s crust, making it an affordable substitute of carbonaceous anode materials for LIBs[7].

However, although numerous scientific studies have been performed on silicon anodes for LIBs, a parameter that has not been evaluated and that would be of interest is the impact that temperature would have on its cycle-life. To fill in this gap, we have performed galvanostatic experiments at different temperatures with silicon-based anodes in half-cells with and without fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) as electrolyte additive. The different capacity fading behavior observed and the possible kinetic mechanisms behind them will be discussed here.

We gratefully acknowledge support from the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE), Vehicle Technologies Office. Argonne National Laboratory is operated for DOE Office of Science by UChicago Argonne, LLC, under contract number DE-AC02-06CH11357.
The U.S. government retains for itself, and others acting on its behalf, a paid-up nonexclusive, irrevocable worldwide license in said article to reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute copies to the public, and perform publicly and display publicly, by or on behalf of the government.

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