The theoretical capacity of silicon-based anode materials is more than 10 times higher than the capacity of graphite, so silicon can be used as an alternative to graphite anode materials. However, silicon has a much higher contraction and expansion rate due to lithiation of the anode material during the charge and discharge processes, compared to graphite anode materials, resulting in the pulverization of silicon particles during repeated charge and discharge. To compensate for the above issues, there is a growing interest in SiOx materials with a silica or carbon coating to minimize the expansion of the silicon. In this study, spherical silica (SiO2) was synthesized using TEOS as a starting material for the fabrication of such SiOx through heating in a reduction atmosphere. SiOx powder was produced by adding PVA as a carbon source and inducing the reduction of silica by the carbothermal reduction method. The ratio of TEOS to distilled water, the stirring time, and the amount of PVA added were adjusted to induce size and morphology, resulting in uniform nanosized spherical silica particles. For the reduction of the spherical monodisperse silica particles, a nitrogen gas atmosphere mixed with 5 % hydrogen was applied, and oxygen atoms in the silica were selectively removed by the carbothermal reduction method. The produced SiOx powder was characterized by FE-SEM to examine the morphology and size changes of the particles, and XPS and FT-IR were used to examine the x value (O/Si ratio) of the synthesized SiOx.

The lithium ion battery has applied to various fields of energy storage systems such as electric vehicle and potable electronic devices in terms of high energy density and long-life cycle. Despite of various research on the electrode and electrolyte materials, there is a lack of research for investigating of the binding materials to replace polymer based binder. In this study, we have investigated petroleum pitch/polymer composite with various ratios between petroleum pitch and polymer in order to optimize the electrochemical and physical performance of the lithium-ion battery based on petroleum pitch/polymer composite binder. The electrochemical and physical performances of the petroleum pitch/polymer composite binder based lithium-ion battery were evaluated by using a charge/discharge test, cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and universal testing machine (UTM). As a result, the petroleum pitch(MP-50)/polymer(PVDF) composite (5:5 wt % ratio) binder based lithium-ion battery showed 1.29 gf mm-1 of adhesion strength with 144 mAh g-1 of specific dis-charge capacity and 93.1 % of initial coulombic efficiency(ICE) value.

Transition metal chalcogenides are promising cathode materials for next-generation battery systems, particularly sodium-ion batteries. Ni3Co6S8-pitch-derived carbon composite microspheres with a yolk-shell structure (Ni3Co6S8@C-YS) were synthesized through a three-step process: spray pyrolysis, pitch coating, and post-heat treatment process. Ni3Co6S8@C-YS exhibited an impressive reversible capacity of 525.2 mA h g-1 at a current density of 0.5 A g-1 over 50 cycles when employed as an anode material for sodium-ion batteries. However, Ni3Co6S8 yolk shell nanopowder (Ni3Co6S8-YS) without pitch-derived carbon demonstrated a continuous decrease in capacity during charging and discharging. The superior sodium-ion storage properties of Ni3Co6S8@C-YS were attributed to the pitchderived carbon, which effectively adjusted the size and distribution of nanocrystals. The carbon-coated yolk-shell microspheres proposed here hold potential for various metal chalcogenide compounds and can be applied to various fields, including the energy storage field.

To develop a high capacity lithium secondary battery, a new approach to anode material synthesis is required, capable of producing an anode that exceeds the energy density limit of a carbon-based anode. This research synthesized carbon nano silicon composites as an anode material for a secondary battery using the RF thermal plasma method, which is an ecofriendly dry synthesis method. Prior to material synthesis, a silicon raw material was mixed at 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 wt% based on the carbon raw material in a powder form, and the temperature change inside the reaction field depending on the applied plasma power was calculated. Information about the materials in the synthesized carbon nano silicon composites were confirmed through XRD analysis, showing carbon (86.7~52.6 %), silicon (7.2~36.2 %), and silicon carbide (6.1~11.2 %). Through FE-SEM analysis, it was confirmed that the silicon bonded to carbon was distributed at sizes of 100 nm or less. The bonding shape of the silicon nano particles bonded to carbon was observed through TEM analysis. The initial electrochemical charging/ discharging test for the 40 wt% silicon mixture showed excellent electrical characteristics of 1,517 mAh/g (91.9 %) and an irreversible capacity of 133 mAh/g (8.1 %).

Tin-antimony sulfide nanocomposites were prepared via hydrothermal synthesis and a N2 reduction process for use as a negative electrode in a sodium ion battery. The electrochemical energy storage performance of the battery was analyzed according to the tin-antimony composition. The optimized sulfides exhibited superior charge/discharge capacity (770 mAh g-1 at a current density of 100 mA g-1) and stable lifespan characteristics (71.2 % after 200 cycles at a current density of 500 mA g-1). It exhibited a reversible characteristic, continuously participating in the charge-discharge process. The improved electrochemical energy storage performance and cycle stability was attributed to the small particle size, by controlling the composition of the tin-antimony sulfide. By optimizing the tin-antimony ratio during the synthesis process, it did not deviate from the solubility limit. Graphene oxide also acts to suppress volume expansion during reversible electrochemical reaction. Based on these results, tin-antimony sulfide is considered a promising anode material for a sodium ion battery used as a medium-to-large energy storage source.

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are powerful energy storage devices with several advantages, including high energy density, large voltage window, high cycling stability, and eco-friendliness. However, demand for ultrafast charge/discharge performance is increasing, and many improvements are needed in the electrode which contains the carbon-based active material. Among LIB electrode components, the conductive additive plays an important role, connecting the active materials and enhancing charge transfer within the electrode. This impacts electrical and ionic conductivity, electrical resistance, and the density of the electrode. Therefore, to increase ultrafast cycling performance by enhancing the electrical conductivity and density of the electrode, we complexed Ketjen black and graphene and applied conductive agents. This electrode, with the composite conductive additives, exhibited high electrical conductivity (12.11 S/cm), excellent high-rate performance (28.6 mAh/g at current density of 3,000 mA/g), and great long-term cycling stability at high current density (88.7 % after 500 cycles at current density of 3,000 mA/g). This excellent high-rate performance with cycling stability is attributed to the increased electrical conductivity, due to the increased amount of graphene, which has high intrinsic electrical conductivity, and the high density of the electrode.

Tin/graphite composites are prepared as anode materials for Li-ion batteries using a dry ball-milling process. The main experimental variables in this work are the ball milling time (0–8 h) and composition ratio (tin:graphite=5:95, 15:85, and 30:70 w/w) of graphite and tin powder. For comparison, a tin/graphite composite is prepared using wet ball milling. The morphology and structure of the different tin/graphite composites are investigated using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The electrochemical properties of the samples are also examined. The optimal dry ball milling time for the uniform mixing of graphite and tin is 6 h in a graphite-30wt.%Sn sample. The electrode prepared from the composite that is dry-ballmilled for 6 h exhibits the best cycle performance (discharge capacity after 50th cycle: 308 mAh/g and capacity retention: 46%). The discharge capacity after the 50th cycle is approximately 112 mAh/g, higher than that when the electrode is composed of only graphite (196 mAh/g after 50th cycle). This result indicates that it is possible to manufacture a tin/graphite composite anode material that can effectively buffer the volume change that occurs during cycling, even using a simple dry ball-milling process.

In this study, multilayered SnO nanoparticles are prepared using oleylamine as a surfactant at 165oC. The physical and chemical properties of the multilayered SnO nanoparticles are determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Interestingly, when the multilayered SnO nanoparticles are heated at 400oC under argon for 2 h, they become more efficient anode materials, maintaining their morphology. Heat treatment of the multilayered SnO nanoparticles results in enhanced discharge capacities of up to 584 mAh/g in 70 cycles and cycle stability. These materials exhibit better coulombic efficiencies. Therefore, we believe that the heat treatment of multilayered SnO nanoparticles is a suitable approach to enable their application as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

고용량 배터리에 대한 요구가 증가에 따라 기존 음극재보다 높은 용량(3,860 mAh/g)과 낮은 전기화학적 전위(– 3.040 V)를 갖는 리튬 금속 기반 음극재에 대한 연구가 활발하게 이루어지고 있다. 본 연구에서는 수열 합성을 통해 제작된 아나타제(anatase) 타입의 TiO2 나노 입자 기반한 PVdF-HFP/TiO2 복합체를 리튬 금속 음극의 계면 보호층으로 적용하였다. 결정구조 및 형상 분석을 통해 유/무기-리튬 나노복합체 박막의 형성을 확인하였다. 또한, 전지화학 테스트(사이클 테스트 및 전압 프로파일)를 통해 리튬 금속 음극의 전기화학 성능은 복합체 보호막이 TiO2 10 wt%, 코팅 두께 1.1 μm의 조건에서 가장 개선된 전기화학적 성능(콜롱 효율 유지: 77 사이클 동안 90% 이상) 발현을 확인하였다. 이를 통해, 처리하지 않은 리튬 전극 대비 본 보호층에 의한 리튬 금속 음극의 성능 안정화/개선 효과가 검증되었다.

For zinc-air batteries, there are several limitations associated with zinc anodes. The self-discharge behavior of zincair batteries is a critical issue that is induced by corrosion reaction and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) of zinc anodes. Aluminum and indium are effective additives for controlling the hydrogen evolution reaction as well as the corrosion reaction. To enhance the electrochemical performances of zinc-air batteries, mechanically alloyed Zn-Al and Zn-In materials with different compositions are successfully fabricated at 500rpm and 5h milling time. Investigated materials are characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). Alloys are investigated for the application as novel anodes in zinc-air batteries. Especially, the material with 3 wt% of indium (ZI3) delivers 445.37 mAh/g and 408.52 mAh/g of specific discharge capacity with 1 h and 6 h storage, respectively. Also, it shows 91.72 % capacity retention and has the lowest value of corrosion current density among attempted materials.

The performance of Li-ion hybrid supercapacitors (asymmetric-type) depends on many factors such as the capacity ratio, material properties, cell designs and operating conditions. Among these, in consideration of balanced electrochemical reactions, the capacity ratio of the negative (anode) to positive (cathode) electrode is one of the most important factors to design the Li-ion hybrid supercapacitors for high energy storing performance. We assemble Li-ion hybrid supercapacitors using activated carbon (AC) as anode material, lithium manganese oxide as cathode material, and organic electrolyte (1 mol L−1 LiPF6 in acetonitrile). At this point, the thickness of the anode electrode is controlled at 160, 200, and 240 μm. Also, thickness of cathode electrode is fixed at 60 μm. Then, the effect of negative and positive electrode ratio on the electrochemical performance of AC/LiMn2O4 Li-ion hybrid supercapacitors is investigated, especially in the terms of capacity and cyclability at high current density. In this study, we demonstrate the relationship of capacity ratio between anode and cathode electrode, and the excellent electrochemical performance of AC/LiMn2O4 Li-ion hybrid supercapacitors. The remarkable capability of these materials proves that manipulation of the capacity ratio is a promising technology for high-performance Li-ion hybrid supercapacitors.

본 논문에서는 접착영역 모델을 이용하여 2상 리튬이온 충전 시 실리콘 음극 전극의 균열진전 해석을 수행하였다. 리튬화 실리콘은 결정질 실리콘에 비해 부피가 약 3배 이상 크므로 리튬이온 충전 시 외각의 리튬화 실리콘에 매우 큰 압축력이 작용하여 압축항복이 발생한다. 리튬이온 충전 시 외각의 리튬화 실리콘은 압축항복 후에 내부의 결정질 실리콘이 리튬화 실리콘으로 상 변이하면서 발생하는 부피 팽창으로 인해 인장력이 작용한다. 이러한 인장력으로 인해 발생하는 균열진전을 접착영역 모델을 이용하여 모사하였다. 사용한 접착영역 모델은 PPR 포텐셜 기반 접착영역 모델로 하나의 포텐셜을 사용하여 복합모드에 대해서도 에너지 소산에 일관성을 지니고 있다. 유한요소 수치해석 모델로 2상 리튬이온 충전 시 모서리 균열진전을 모사한 결과가 실제 실험결과와 일치함을 확인하였고, 균열 팁에서의 최대 인장응력의 각도를 분석하여 실제 실험처럼 균열진전 방향이 회전할 것을 예측할 수 있었다.

This study investigates the viability of using a Na-ion battery with a tin(Sn) anode to mitigate the vulnerability caused by volume changes during discharge and charge cycling. In general, the volume changes of carbon material do not cause any instability during intercalation into its layer structure. Sn has a high theoretical capacity of 847 mAh g−1. However, it expands dramatically in the discharge process by alloying Na-Sn, placing the electrode under massive internal stress, and particularly straining the binder over the elastic limit. The repeating strain results in loss of active material and its electric contact, as well as capacity decrease. This paper expands the scope of fabrication of Na-ion batteries with Sn by fabricating the binder as an auxetic structure with a unique feature: a negative Poisson ratio (NPR), which increases the resistance to internal stress in the Na-Sn alloying/de-alloying processes. Electrochemical tests and micrograph images of auxetic and common binders are used to compare dimensional and structural differences. Results show that the capacity of an auxetic-structured Sn electrode is much larger than that of a Sn electrode with a common-structured binder. Furthermore, using an auxetic structured Sn electrode, stability in discharge and charge cycling is obtained.

Using a high pressure homonizer, we report on the electrochemical performance of Li4Ti5O12(LTO) particles manufactured as anode active material for lithium ion battery. High-pressure synthesis processing is performed under conditions in which the mole fraction of Li/Ti is 0.9, the synthesis pressure is 2,000 bar and the numbers of passings-through are 5, 7 and 10. The observed X-ray diffraction patterns show that pure LTO is manufactured when the number of passings-through is 10. It is found from scanning electron microscopy analysis that the average size of synthesized particles decreases as the number of passings-through increases. LiCoO2-based active cathode materials are used to fabricate several coin half/full cells and their battery characteristics such as lifetime, rate capability and charge transfer resistance are then estimated, revealing quite good electrochemical performance of the LTO particles as an effective anode active material for lithium secondary batteries.

Lithium ion batteries have been extensively used in portable electronic devices due to their high energy density and long cycle life. Recently, lithium ion batteries are required to run conditions that drive up to 1.5C, 2.0C, or higher in order to produce quick charge secondary cells, but the life degradation and safety concerns and rising. In other words, as the number of repetitions of the charge and discharge increases, the binding between the active materials and the ionic conductors becomes loose, and the contact resistance between the particles increases, and due to the increased resistance of the electrode, the battery performance is degraded, and during the life cycle degradation of cathode and anode materials occurs, and it is directly linked to life and safety issues. This study aims to improve the quick charge performance by improving the lithium ion material.

Silicon alloys are considered promising anode active materials to replace Li-ion batteries by graphite powder, because they have a relatively high capacity of up to 4200 mAh/g, and are environmentally friendly and inexpensive ECO-materials. However, its poor charge/discharge properties, induced by cracking during cycles, constitute their most serious problem as anode electrode. In order to solve these problems, Si-Ge-Al alloys with porous structure are designed as anode alloy powders, to improve cycling stability. The alloys are melt-spun to obtain the rapidly solidified ribbons, and then ball-milled to make fine powders. The powders are etched using 1 M HCl solution, which gives the powders a porous structure by removing the element Al. Subsequently, in this study, the microstructures and the characteristics of the etched powders are evaluated for application as anode materials. As a result, the etched porous powder shows better electrochemical properties than as-milled Si-Ge-Al powder.