Investigating the effects of silicon and carbon components on the thickness evolution and performance degradation of silicon–carbon electrodes through electrochemical dilatometry

The severe volumetric changes occur during the lithiation/de-lithiation of silicon materials, which are the main cause of battery capacity failure. In this study, the expansion behavior of a cell composed of a silicon-carbon anode and Li(Ni0.5Co0.2Mn0.3)O2 (NCM523) was measured using the electrochemical dilatometry, and the contributions of different silicon and carbon components to the expansion were analyzed, along with factors affecting the cyclic stability of the silicon carbon anode. The results indicate that amorphous carbon can inhibit the volume expansion of monocrystalline silicon in the late stage of lithiation, thereby ensuring the cyclic stability of silicon. The cyclic stability of silicon-carbon composites is affected by irreversible expansion and expansion variation, and these two factors are negatively correlated. This research provides insights and guidance for the design of silicon carbon electrodes with superior electrochemical performance.