Swelling Silicon Microparticles (IMAGE)
Caption
When used in lithium-ion battery anodes, silicon microparticles swell, break apart and react with the battery's electrolyte to form a thick coating that saps the anode's performance. To address these problems, scientists built a graphene cage around each particle, bottom. The cage gives the particle room to swell during charging, holds its pieces together when it breaks apart, controls the growth of the coating and preserves electrical conductivity and performance.
Credit
Y. Li et al., Nature Energy
Usage Restrictions
None
License
Licensed content