Building High-Energy Silicon-Containing Batteries Using Off-The-Shelf Materials

The technology of silicon anodes appears to be reaching maturity, with high-energy Si cells already in pilot-scale production. However, the performance of these systems can be difficult to replicate in academic settings, making it challenging to translate research findings into solutions that can be implemented by the battery industry. Part of this difficulty arises from the lack of access to engineered Si particles and anodes, as electrode formulations and the materials themselves have become valuable intellectual property for emerging companies. Here, we summarize the efforts by Argonne’s Cell Analysis, Modeling, and Prototyping (CAMP) Facility in developing Si-based prototypes made entirely from commercially available materials. We describe the many challenges we encountered when testing high-loading electrodes (>5 mAh cm −2 ) and discuss strategies to mitigate them. With the right electrode and electrolyte design, we show that our pouch cells containing ≥ 70 wt% SiO x can achieve 600–1,000 cycles at C/3 and meet projected energy targets of 700 Wh L −1 and 350 Wh kg −1 . These results provide a practical reference for research teams seeking to advance silicon-anode development using accessible materials.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Journal of The Electrochemical Society
Published
2025-12-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/ae2893
Primary Topic
Advancements in Battery Materials
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Building High-Energy Silicon-Containing Batteries Using Off-The-Shelf Materials

Maxwell C. Schulze, Andressa Y. R. Prado, Wenquan Lu, Devashish Salpekar et al.
Journal of The Electrochemical Society
Advancements in Battery Materials
article

Building High-Energy Silicon-Containing Batteries Using Off-The-Shelf Materials

Maxwell C. Schulze, Andressa Y. R. Prado, Wenquan Lu, Devashish Salpekar, Nicolas Folastre, Charles McDaniel, Stephen E. Trask, Baris Key, Alison R. Dunlop, Daniel P. Abraham, Yi-Chen Lan, Joseph Kubal, Marco‐Tulio F. Rodrigues, Eliot Woods, Andrew N. Jansen, Ryan J. Tancin, Lily A. Robertson, Zhengcheng Zhang, Evelyna Wang
article en

Abstract

The technology of silicon anodes appears to be reaching maturity, with high-energy Si cells already in pilot-scale production. However, the performance of these systems can be difficult to replicate in academic settings, making it challenging to translate research findings into solutions that can be implemented by the battery industry. Part of this difficulty arises from the lack of access to engineered Si particles and anodes, as electrode formulations and the materials themselves have become valuable intellectual property for emerging companies. Here, we summarize the efforts by Argonne’s Cell Analysis, Modeling, and Prototyping (CAMP) Facility in developing Si-based prototypes made entirely from commercially available materials. We describe the many challenges we encountered when testing high-loading electrodes (>5 mAh cm −2 ) and discuss strategies to mitigate them. With the right electrode and electrolyte design, we show that our pouch cells containing ≥ 70 wt% SiO x can achieve 600–1,000 cycles at C/3 and meet projected energy targets of 700 Wh L −1 and 350 Wh kg −1 . These results provide a practical reference for research teams seeking to advance silicon-anode development using accessible materials.

Journal of The Electrochemical SocietyVol. 172(12)
Openalex Percentile: Top 61%
Advancements in Battery Materials
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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