Silicon-based anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

In the past few decades, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have attracted considerable attention as power sources for portable electronics and electrical vehicles (EVs). They have several advantages over other secondary battery technologies such as nickel-cadmium (NiCd) and nickel metal hydride (NiMH), including high operating voltage, high energy density, light weight, long cycle life, and zero-to-low memory effect. LIBs are currently one of the most commonly used rechargeable batteries for small portable electronic devices. While the capacity limitations of carbon-based anodes for use in advanced LIBs need to be overcome, silicon (Si) has emerged as one of the most promising anode materials because of its abundance, nontoxicity, desirable electrochemical potential to be coupled with high-voltage cathode materials, and more importantly the highest known specific Li storage capacity which is one order of magnitude higher than that of graphite.