• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.561-567
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• 2018

In this study, the electrochemical characteristics of Silicon/Carbon anode materials were analyzed to improve the cycle stability of silicon as an anode materials of lithium ion battery. Porous silicon was prepared from TEOS by the $st{\ddot{o}}ber$ method and the magnesiothermic reduction method. Silicon/Carbon anode materials were synthesized by varying the mass ratio between porous silicon and pitch. Physical properties of the prepared Silicon/Carbon anode materials were analyzed by XRD and TGA. Also the electrochemical performances of Silicon/Carbon anode materials were investigated by constant current charge/discharge, rate performance, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance tests in the electrolyte of $LiPF_6$ dissolved in organic solvents (EC : DEC = 1 : 1 vol%). The Silicon/Carbon anode composite (silicon : carbon = 5 : 95 in weight) has better capacity (453 mAh/g) than those of other composition cells. The cycle performance has an excellent capacity retention from 2nd cycle to 30th cycle.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.37-41
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• 2008

The effects of carbon-coated silicon anode on the electrochemical properties and structural change were investigated. The carbon-coated silicon powders have been prepared by thermal decomposition under argon/10wt% propylene mixed gas flow at $700^{\circ}C$. The surface and crystal structure of the synthesized materials were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Raman spectroscopy. Lithium cells with electrodes made from the uncoated and the carbon coated silicon anode were assembled and tested. The carbon-coated silicon particles merged together well after the insertion/extraction of lithium ions, and showed a relatively low irreversible capacity compared with the uncoated silicon particle.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.243-248
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• 2014

Silicon-carbon composite was prepared by the magnesiothermic reduction of mesoporous silica and subsequent impregnation with a carbon precursor. This was applied for use as an anode material for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. Well-ordered mesoporous silica(SBA-15) was employed as a starting material for the mesoporous silicon, and sucrose was used as a carbon source. It was found that complete removal of by-products ($Mg_2Si$ and $Mg_2SiO_4$) formed by side reactions of silica and magnesium during the magnesiothermic reduction, was a crucial factor for successful formation of mesoporous silicon. Successful formation of the silicon-carbon composite was well confirmed by appropriate characterization tools (e.g., $N_2$ adsorption-desorption, small-angle X-ray scattering, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analyses). A lithium-ion battery was fabricated using the prepared silicon-carbon composite as the anode, and lithium foil as the counter-electrode. Electrochemical analysis revealed that the silicon-carbon composite showed better cycling stability than graphite, when used as the anode in the lithium-ion battery. This improvement could be due to the fact that carbon efficiently suppressed the change in volume of the silicon material caused by the charge-discharge cycle. This indicates that silicon-carbon composite, prepared via the magnesiothermic reduction and impregnation methods, could be an efficient anode material for lithium ion batteries.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.317-322
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• 2021

Silicon (Si) has been considered as a promising anode material because of its abundant reserves in nature, low lithium ion (Li⁺) intercalation/de-intercalation potential (below 0.5 V vs. Li/Li⁺) and high theoretical capacity of 4200 mA h/g. In this paper, we prepared a silicon-based (Si-based) anode material containing a small amount of silicon carbide by using magnesiothermic coreduction of silica and hexachlorobenzene. Because of good conductivity of silicon carbide, the cycle performance of the silicon-based anode materials containing few silicon carbide is greatly improved compared with pure silicon. The raw materials were formulated according to a silicon-carbon molar ratio of 10:0, 10:1, 10:2 and 10:3, and the obtained products were purified and tested for their electrochemical properties. After 1000 cycles, the specific capacities of the materials with silicon-carbon molar ratios of 10:0, 10:1, 10:2 and 10:3 were still up to 412.3 mA h/g, 970.3 mA h/g, 875.0 mA h/g and 788.6 mA h/g, respectively. Although most of the added carbon reacted with silicon to form silicon carbide, because of the good conductivity of silicon carbide, the cycle performance of silicon-based anode materials was significantly better than that of pure silicon.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.257-264
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• 2023

To develop a high capacity lithium secondary battery, a new approach to anode material synthesis is required, capable of producing an anode that exceeds the energy density limit of a carbon-based anode. This research synthesized carbon nano silicon composites as an anode material for a secondary battery using the RF thermal plasma method, which is an ecofriendly dry synthesis method. Prior to material synthesis, a silicon raw material was mixed at 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 wt% based on the carbon raw material in a powder form, and the temperature change inside the reaction field depending on the applied plasma power was calculated. Information about the materials in the synthesized carbon nano silicon composites were confirmed through XRD analysis, showing carbon (86.7~52.6 %), silicon (7.2~36.2 %), and silicon carbide (6.1~11.2 %). Through FE-SEM analysis, it was confirmed that the silicon bonded to carbon was distributed at sizes of 100 nm or less. The bonding shape of the silicon nano particles bonded to carbon was observed through TEM analysis. The initial electrochemical charging/discharging test for the 40 wt% silicon mixture showed excellent electrical characteristics of 1,517 mAh/g (91.9 %) and an irreversible capacity of 133 mAh/g (8.1 %).

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.1965-1968
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• 2008

The effects of carbon-coated silicon/graphite (Si/Gr.) composite anode on the electrochemical properties were investigated. The nanosized silicon particle shows a good cycling performance with a reasonable value of the first reversible capacity as compared with microsized silicon particle. The carbon-coated silicon/graphite composite powders have been prepared by pyrolysis method under argon/10 wt% propylene gas flow at $700{^{\circ}C}$ for 7 h. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis indicates that the carbon layer thickness of 5 nm was coated uniformly onto the surface silicon powder. It is confirmed that the insertion of lithium ions change the crystalline silicon phase into the amorphous phase by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The carbon-coated composite silicon/graphite anode shows excellent cycling performance with a reversible value of 700 mAh/g. The superior electrochemical characteristics are attributed to the enhanced electronic conductivity and low volume change of silicon powder during cycling by carbon coating.

• Carbon letters
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.335-339
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• 2007

Carbon/silicon composites were synthesized by mixing silicon powders with petroleum pitch and subsequent heat-treatment. The resultant composites were composed of carbon and nano-size crystalline silicon identified by XRD and EDX. FIB images and SEM images were taken respectively to detect the existence of silicon impregnated in carbon and the distribution of silicon on the carbon surface. The obtained carbon/silicon materials were assembled as half cell anodes for lithium ion secondary battery and their electrochemical properties were tested. The pitch/silicon composite (3 : 1 wt. ratio) heat treated at $1000^{\circ}C$ and mixed with 55.5 wt.% of graphite showed relatively good electrochemical properties such as the initial efficiency of 78%, the initial discharge capacity of 605 mAh/g, and the discharge capacity of 500 mAh/g after 20 cycles.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.80-85
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• 2015

Silicon/carbon composites as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries were examined to find the cycle performance and capacity. Silicon/carbon composites were prepared by a two-step method, including the magnesiothermic reduction of SBA-15 (Santa Barbara Amorphous material No. 15) and carbonization of phenol resin. The electrochemical behaviors of lithium ion batteries were characterized by charge/discharge, cycle, cyclic voltammetry and impedance tests. The improved electrochemical performance attributed to the fact that silicon/carbon composites suppress the volume expansion of the silicon particles and enhance the conductivity of silicon/carbon composites (30 ohm) compared to that of using the pure silicon (235 ohm). The anode electrode of silicon/carbon composites showed the high capacity approaching 1,348 mAh/g and the capacity retention ratio of 76% after 50 cycles.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.16-21
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• 2016

Silicon/Carbon/CNT composites as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries were synthesized to overcome the large volume change during lithium alloying-de alloying process and low electrical conductivity. Silicon/Carbon/CNT composites were prepared by the fabrication processes including the synthesis of SBA-15, magnesiothermic reduction of SBA-15 to obtain Si/MgO by ball milling, carbonization of phenolic resin with CNT and HCl etching. The prepared Silicon/Carbon/CNT composites were analysed by XRD, SEM, BET and EDS. In this study, the electrochemical effect of CNT content to improve the capacity and cycle performance was investigated by charge/discharge, cycle, cyclic voltammetry and impedance tests. The coin cell using Silicon/Carbon/CNT composite (Si:CNT=93:7 in weight) in the electrolyte of $LiPF_6$ dissolved in organic solvents (EC:DMC:EMC=1:1:1 vol%) has better capacity (1718 mAh/g) than those of other composition coin cells. The cycle performance of coin cell was improved as CNT content was increased. It is found that the coin cell (Si:CNT=89:11 in weight) has best capacity retension (83%) after 2nd cycle.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.116-123
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• 2011

Herein, a novel preparation method of highly homogeneous carbon-silicon composite materials was presented. In contrast to conventional solvent evaporation method, a milled silicon-graphite or its oxidized material were directly reacted with petroleum-derived pitch precursor. After thermal reaction under high pressure, pitch-graphite-silicon composite was prepared. Carbon-graphite-silicon composite were prepared by an air-oxidization and following carbonization. From energy dispersive spectroscopy, it was observed that small Si particles were highly embedded within carbon, which was confirmed by disappearance of Si peaks in Raman spectra. Furthermore, X-ray diffraction and Raman spectra revealed that carbon crystallinity decreased when the strongly oxidized silicon-graphite was added, which was probably due to oxygen-induced cross-linking. From the anode application in lithium ion batteries, carbon-graphite-silicon composite anode displayed a high capacity ($565\;mAh\;g^{-1}$), a good initial efficiency (68%) and an good cyclability (88% retention at 50 cycles), which were attributed to the high dispersion of Si particles within cabon. In case of the strongly oxidized silicongraphite addtion, a decrease of reversible capacity was observed due to its low crystallinity.