Selective Electrophoretic Deposition of Silicon Nanoparticles onto PAN‐Based Carbon Fiber as a Prospective Anode for Structural Li‐Ion Batteries

Abstract The demand for revolutionizing the lightweight design of Li‐ion batteries has become inevitable due to the ever‐increasing development of electric transportation modes. Integration of structural and energy storage functionalities into a single structural battery device can be a smart way to improve the overall performance of electric vehicles. In this study, we propose a facile and cost‐effective approach to develop a prospective anode for structural Li‐ion batteries through electrophoretic deposition of silicon (Si) particles onto polyacrylonitrile (PAN)‐based carbon fiber. The synthesis method is able to selectively deposit small‐sized silicon particles on the surface of carbon fiber, producing a thin, continuous, and porous coating of silicon nanoparticles on commercial PAN‐based carbon fiber. The synthesized Si/PAN‐based carbon fiber electrode exhibits remarkable mechanical properties, delivering a tensile strength of 2.57 GPa and a tensile modulus of 118.2 GPa. Benefitting from the morphology of the deposited silicon, the discharge capacity of silicon/PAN‐based carbon fiber anode can reach 565 mAh g −1 with 81 % capacity retention after 50 cycles. This work highlights the potential of silicon‐modified carbon fiber electrodes obtained via a simple and cost‐effective deposition method for structural Li‐ion battery applications.