Evolving affinity between Coulombic reversibility and hysteretic phase transformations in nano-structured silicon-based lithium-ion batteries

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-02824-w
• Publication Date: 2018-01-29T22:00:01Z
• Authors: K. Ogata; S. Jeon; D.-S. Ko; I. S. Jung; J. H. Kim; K. Ito; Y. Kubo; K. Takei; S. Saito; Y.-H. Cho; H. Park; J. Jang; H.-G. Kim; J.-H. Kim; Y. S. Kim; W. Choi; M. Koh; K. Uosaki; S. G. Doo; Y. Hwang; S. Han
• Keywords: Science; Q; 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology; 7. Clean energy; Article

Abstract Nano-structured silicon is an attractive alternative anode material to conventional graphite in lithium-ion batteries. However, the designs with higher concentrations remain be commercialized despite recent remarkable progress. One of most critical issues fundamental understanding lithium–silicon Coulombic efficiency. Particularly, this key resolve subtle yet accumulatively significant alterations efficiency by various paths processes over cycles. Here, we provide quantitative and qualitative insight into how irreversible behaviors are altered under amorphous volume changes hysteretic amorphous–crystalline phase transformations. Repeated latter transformations cycles, typically featured as a degradation factor, can govern reversibility behaviors, improving irreversibility eventually minimizing cumulative lithium consumption. This clearly different from repeated lithiation depths. The mechanism behind correlations elucidated electrochemical structural probing.