Integrated prelithiation and SEI engineering for high-performance silicon anodes in lithium-ion batteries
Lijiao Quan, Qili Su, Haozhe Lei, Wenguang Zhang, Yingkang Deng, Jiarong He, Yong Lu, Zhe Li, Haijing Liu, Lidan Xing, Weishan Li
Abstract
Improving the initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) of silicon anodes in lithium-ion batteries is a key challenge for enhancing their performance. Traditional prelithiation methods, such as using lithium naphthalenide (Li-Naph), are limited by the low lithiation potential of crystalline silicon, making them less effective for commercial applications. This study demonstrates that amorphous silicon anodes, with a higher lithiation potential, can be effectively prelithiated using Li-Naph. This prelithiation process also forms a robust solid electrolyte interphase, which significantly enhances the anode's cycling stability and overall battery performance. The prelithiated silicon anodes achieved a remarkable ICE improvement from 74.8% to 97.2% in full-cell tests. Furthermore, 27 mAh pouch cells exhibited excellent long-cycle stability and low-temperature performance, retaining 90.1% of their capacity after 800 cycles at 1 C. These findings highlight the potential for scalable prelithiation methods and open new avenues for advancing silicon anode technology in next-generation batteries.