Centrifugal Spinning: An Alternative for Large Scale Production of Silicon–Carbon Composite Nanofibers for Lithium Ion Battery Anodes

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-12-2016

Abstract

Composites made of silicon nanostructures in carbon matrixes are promising materials for anodes in Li ion batteries given the synergistic storage capacity of silicon combined with the chemical stability and electrical conductivity of carbonaceous materials. This work presents the development of Si/C composite fine fiber mats produced by carbonization of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/Si composites. PVA has a high carbon content (ca. 54.5%) and, being water-soluble, it promotes the development of environmentally friendly materials. Si nanoparticles were dispersed in PVA solutions and transformed into fine fibers using a centrifugal spinning technique given its potential for large scale production. The Si/PVA fibers mats were then subjected to dehydration by exposing them to sulfuric acid vapor. The dehydration improved the thermal and chemical stability of the PVA matrix, allowing further carbonization at 800 °C. The resulting Si/C composite fibers produced binder-free anodes for lithium ion batteries that delivered specific discharge and charge capacities of 952 mA h g–1 and 862 mA g–1, respectively, with a Columbic efficiency of 99% after 50 cycles.

Comments

Copyright © 2016 American Chemical Society

Publication Title

ACS applied materials & interfaces

DOI

10.1021/acsami.6b06051

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