Scientists are constantly exploring alternative materials to break the battery bottleneck, and silicon is one material that has been recognized by many scientists as promising. A team of researchers from Clemson University recently came up with a new design that overcomes some of the problems of incorporating this material into lithium-ion batteries, thus demonstrating a lightweight, multi-purpose device that can power satellites and spacesuits.
Scientists have long been studying the potential of silicon in lithium-ion batteries, and using the material as an anode component could increase the storage capacity of these devices by a factor of 10. But to commercialize it, a number of problems need to be solved.
First, silicon does not have the same durability as graphite. It tends to swell, shrink and break down into smaller pieces when the battery is charged and discharged. This leads to deterioration of the anode and failure of the battery. Over the past few years, scientists have proposed a variety of potential solutions, including the conversion of silicon into sponge-like nanofibers or tiny nanospheres, which can then be integrated into devices.
The team from Clemson University hopes to enhance the reliability of silicon with the help of thin sheets of carbon nanotubes called "Buckypaper," which are being used to develop the next generation of aircraft heat shields. The flakes are paired with tiny, nanoscale silicon particles in an arrangement that the team says resembles a deck of cards, with the silicon particles sandwiched between each layer.
The separate carbon nanotube sheets keep the silicon nanoparticles electrically connected to each other, and these nanotubes form a quasi-three-dimensional structure that holds the silicon nanoparticles together even after 500 cycles and mitigates the resistance created by nanoparticle rupture," said Shailendra Chiluwal, the study's first author ".
The benefit of this approach, according to the team, is that even if the charge and discharge of the battery causes the silicon particles to rupture, they remain locked within the sandwich and are able to perform their function. This means that it is theoretically possible for the battery to have a higher capacity, which means that energy can be stored in a lighter cell, thus reducing the overall weight of the device.
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