Environmentally benign reuse or upgrading of materials considered byproducts of industrial and agricultural economies is one of the ultimate goals of sustainable practices. Silicon has gained increasing attention because of its high specific capacity compared to the commonly used graphite negative electrode in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the process of lithiation and delithiation leads to volume expansion of silicon, which causes rapid capacity fading and electrode cracking. In this study, a 3-dimensional, interconnected Si/C composite synthesized from Kraft lignin (a waste from paper and pulping industry) and silicon nanoparticles as a LIB negative electrode is shown to have a high specific capacity of 2932 mAh/g and retaining capacity of 2130 mAh/g after 85 cycles at 0.72A/g. In order to obtain a mechanistic understanding of the effect of lignin properties and processing conditions on the mechanical and electrochemical properties of the lignin-derived electrode materials, the synthesis process of Si/C nanocomposites was investigated in an analytical micropyrolyzer–GC/MS. The product distributions, including gas, liquid, and solid residue, were analyzed. The morphology, pore structure, conductivity, interfacial chemistry, mechanical behavior of the Si/C nanocomposites were further characterized by XRD, BET, SEM/in-situ TEM, conductance measurement, FT-IR/Raman/XPS, and nano-indentation. This study establishes a link between lignin source, synthesis condition and properties of Si/C nanocomposite materials and their electrochemical performance and durability as electrodes in the next generation LIBs.

Understanding lignin-silicon nanoparticle co-pyrolysis to produce anode material for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.