Silicon Anode Design for Lithium-Ion Batteries: Progress and Perspectives

Silicon has long been regarded as a prospective anode material for lithium-ion batteries. However, its huge volumetric changes during cycling are a major obstacle to its commercialization, as these changes result in irreversible cracking and disconnection of the active mass from the current collector, as well as an excessive formation of a highly resistive solid electrolyte interphase. Multiple mechanical stress relief strategies that primarily use silicon nanostructurization have been previously developed. However, despite the significant improvements on the active material cycle life, using nanomaterials still results in complications, such as low conductivity, reduced volumetric energy density, and increased side reactions. This work provides a historical context for the development of silicon anodes and focuses on the surface chemistry and structural integrity of the electrode, thereby highlighting the most effective strategies reported recently for their optimization.