• Carbon letters
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.243-248
• /
• 2011

Two different types of graphite, such as flake graphite (FG) and spherical graphite (SG), were used as anode materials for a lithium-ion secondary battery in order to investigate their electrochemical performance. The FG particles were prepared by pulverizing natural graphite with a planetary mill. The SG particles were treated by immersing them in acid solutions or mixing them with various carbon additives. With a longer milling time, the particle size of the FG decreased. Since smaller particles allow more exposure of the edge planes toward the electrolyte, it could be possible for the FG anodes with longer milling time to deliver high reversible capacity; however, their initial efficiency was found to have decreased. The initial efficiency of SG anodes with acid treatments was about 90%, showing an over 20% higher value than that of FG anodes. With acid treatment, the discharge rate capability and the initial efficiency improved slightly. The electrochemical properties of the SG anodes improved slightly with carbon additives such as acetylene black (AB), Super P, Ketjen black, and carbon nanotubes. Furthermore, the cyclability was much improved due to the effect of the conductive bridge made by carbon additives such as AB and Super P.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
• /
• v.3 no.3
• /
• pp.116-122
• /
• 2012

As an effort to address the chronic capacity fading of Si anodes and thus achieve their robust cycling performance, herein, we develop a unique electrode in which silicon nanoparticles are embedded in the carbon nanotubes network. Utilizing robust contacts between silicon nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes, the composite electrodes exhibit excellent electrochemical performance : 95.5% capacity retention after 140 cycles as well as rate capability such that at the C-rate increase from 0.1C to 1C to 10C, the specific capacities of 850, 698, and 312 mAh/g are obtained, respectively. The present investigation suggests a useful design principle for silicon as well as other high capacity alloying electrodes that undergo large volume expansions during battery operations.

• Carbon letters
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.39-44
• /
• 2016

The work presented in this report was a detailed comparative study of the electrochemical response exhibited by graphite anodes in Li-ion batteries having different physical features. A comprehensive morphological and physical characterization was carried out for these graphite samples via X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Later, the electrochemical performance was analyzed using galvanostatic charge/discharge testing and the galvanostatic intermittent titration technique for these graphite samples as negative electrode materials in battery operation. The results demonstrated that a material having a higher crystalline order exhibits enhanced electrochemical properties when evaluated in terms of rate-capability performance. All these materials were investigated at high C-rates ranging from 0.1C up to 10C. Such improved response was attributed to the crystalline morphology providing short layers, which facilitate rapid Li⁺ ions diffusivity and electron transport during the course of battery operation. The values obtained for the electrical conductivity of these graphite anodes support this possible explanation.

• Journal of Powder Materials
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.315-320
• /
• 2015

The present work reports a systematic study of using carboxymethylated cellulose (CMC) as water-borne binder to produce $Li_4Ti_5O_{12}$-based anodes for manufacture of high rate performance lithium ion batteries. When the LTO-to-CB-to-CMC mass ratio is carefully optimized to be 8:1:0.57, the special capacity of the resulting electrodes is $144mAh{\cdot}g^{-1}$ at 10 C and their capacity retention was 97.7% after 1000 cycles at 1 C and 98.5% after 500 cycles at 5 C, respectively. This rate performance is comparable or even better than that of the electrolytes produced using conventional, organic, polyvinylidene fluoride binder.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.1-13
• /
• 2014

Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) are the state-of-the-art technology among electrochemical energy storage and conversion cells, and are still considered the most attractive class of battery in the future due to their high specific energy density, high efficiency, and long cycle life. Rapid development of power-hungry commercial electronics and large-scale energy storage applications (e.g. off-peak electrical energy storage), however, requires novel anode materials that have higher energy densities to replace conventional graphite electrodes. Germanium (Ge) and silicon (Si) are thought to be ideal prospect candidates for next generation LIB anodes due to their extremely high theoretical energy capacities. For instance, Ge offers relatively lower volume change during cycling, better Li insertion/extraction kinetics, and higher electronic conductivity than Si. In this focused review, we briefly describe the basic concepts of LIBs and then look at the characteristics of ideal anode materials that can provide greatly improved electrochemical performance, including high capacity, better cycling behavior, and rate capability. We then discuss how, in the future, Ge anode materials (Ge and Ge oxides, Ge-carbon composites, and other Ge-based composites) could increase the capacity of today's Li batteries. In recent years, considerable efforts have been made to fulfill the requirements of excellent anode materials, especially using these materials at the nanoscale. This article shall serve as a handy reference, as well as starting point, for future research related to high capacity LIB anodes, especially based on semiconductor Ge and Si.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.399-405
• /
• 2020

Hollow copper oxide/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CuO/MWCNT) composites were fabricated via an optimized infiltration-reduction-oxidation method, which is more facile and easy to control. The crystalline structure and morphology were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The as-prepared CuO/MWCNT composites deliver an initial capacity of 612.3 mAh·g^-1 and with 80% capacity retention (488.2 mAh·g^-1) after 100 cycles at a current rate of 0.2 A·g^-1. The enhanced electrochemical performance is ascribed to the better electrical conductivity of MWCNT, the hollow structure of CuO particles, and the flexible structure of the CuO/MWCNT composites.

• Carbon letters
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.343-346
• /
• 2010

The various expanded graphites (EGs) was prepared and applied as anode material for high power Li-ion secondary battery (LIB). By changing the processing conditions of EG, a series of EG with different structure were produced, showing the changed electrochemical properties. The charge-discharge test showed that the initial reversible capacity of EG anodes prepared at the suitable conditions was over 400 mAh/g and the charge capacity at 5 C-rate was 83.2 mAh/g. These values demonstrated the much improved electrochemical properties as compared with those for the graphite anode of 360 mAh/g and 19.4 mAh/g, respectively, showing the possibility of EG anode materials for high power LIB.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
• /
• v.2 no.3
• /
• pp.157-162
• /
• 2011

We report a simple route for synthesizing multi-dimensional structured silicon anode materials from commercially available bulk silicon powders via metal-assisted chemical etching process. In the first step, silver catalyst was deposited onto the surface of bulk silicon via a galvanic displacement reaction. Next, the silver-decorated silicon particles were chemically etched in a mixture of hydrofluoric acid and hydrogen peroxide to make multi-dimensional silicon consisting of one-dimensional silicon nanowires and micro-scale silicon cores. As-synthesized silicon particles were coated with a carbon via thermal decomposition of acetylene gas. The carbon-coated multi-dimensional silicon anodes exhibited excellent electrochemical properties, including a high specific capacity (1800 mAh/g), a stable cycling retention (cycling retention of 89% after 20 cycles), and a high rate capability (71% at 3 C rate, compared to 0.1 C rate). This process is a simple and mass-productive (yield of 40-50%), thus opens up an effective route to make a high-performance silicon anode materials for lithiumion batteries.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.250-257
• /
• 2022

Transition metal sulfide materials have emerged as a new anode material for Li secondary batteries owing to their high capacity and rate capability facilitated by fast Li-ion transport through the layered structure. Among these materials, niobium disulfide (NbS₂) has attracted much attention with its high electrical conductivity and high theoretical capacity (683 mAh g^-1). In this study, we propose a facile synthesis of Fe_xNbS₂/C composite via simple ball milling and heat treatment. The starting materials of FeS and Nb were reacted in the first milling step and transformed into an Fe-Nb-S composite. In the second milling step, activated carbon was incorporated and the sulfide was crystallized into Fe_xNbS₂ by heat treatment. The prepared materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, electron spectroscopies, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electrochemical test results reveal that the synthesized Fe_xNbS₂/C composite electrode demonstrates a high reversible capacity of more than 600 mAh g^-1, stable cycling stability, and excellent rate performance for Li-ion battery anodes.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.279-287
• /
• 2015

In order to prepare anode materials for high power lithium ion secondary batteries, carbon composites were fabricated with a mixture of petroleum pitch and coke (PC) and a mixture of petroleum pitch, coke, and natural graphite (PC-NG). Although natural graphite has a good reversible capacity, it has disadvaantages of a sharp decrease in capacity during high rate charging and potential plateaus. This may cause difficulties in perceiving the capacity variations as a function of electrical potential. The coke anodes have advantages without potential plateaus and a high rate capability, but they have a low reversible capacity. With PC anode composites, the petroleum pitch/cokes mixture at 1:4 with heat treatment at $1000^{\circ}C$ (PC14-1000C) showed relatively high electrochemical properties. With PC-NG anode composites, the proper graphite contents were determined at 10~30 wt.%. The composites with a given content of natural graphite and remaining content of various petroleum pitch/cokes mixtures at 1:4~4:1 mass ratios were heated at $800{\sim}1200^{\circ}C$. By increasing the content of petroleum pitch, reversible capacity increased, but a high rate capability decreased. For a given composition of carbonaceous composite, the discharge rate capability improved but the reversible capacity decreased with an increase in heat treatment temperature. The carbonaceous composites fabricated with a mixture of 30 wt.% natural graphite and 70 wt.% petroleum pitch/cokes mixture at 1:4 mass ratio and heat treated at $1000^{\circ}C$ showed relatively high electrochemical properties, of which the reversible capacity, initial efficiency, discharge rate capability (retention of discharge capacity in 10 C/0.2 C), and charge capacity at 5 C were 330 mAh/g, 79 %, 80 %, and 60 mAh/g, respectively.