High Areal Capacity Si/LiCoO₂ Batteries from Electrospun Composite Fiber Mats

Freestanding nanofiber mat Li–ion battery anodes containing Si nanoparticles, carbon black, and poly(acrylic acid) (Si/C/PAA) are prepared using electrospinning. The mats are compacted to a high fiber volume fraction (≈0.85), and interfiber contacts are welded by exposing the mat to methanol vapor. A compacted+welded fiber mat anode containing 40 wt % Si exhibits high capacities of 1484 mA h g⁻¹ (3500 mA h g^-1_si) at 0.1 C and 489 mA h g⁻¹ at 1 C and good cycling stability (e.g., 73 % capacity retention over 50 cycles). Post-mortem analysis of the fiber mats shows that the overall electrode structure is preserved during cycling. Whereas many nanostructured Si anodes are hindered by their low active material loadings and densities, thick, densely packed Si/C/PAA fiber mat anodes reported here have high areal and volumetric capacities (e.g., 4.5 mA h cm⁻² and 750 mA h cm⁻³, respectively). A full cell containing an electrospun Si/C/PAA anode and electrospun LiCoO₂-based cathode has a high specific energy density of 270 Wh kg⁻¹. The excellent performance of the electrospun Si/C/PAA fiber mat anodes is attributed to the: i) PAA binder, which interacts with the SiO_x surface of Si nanoparticles and ii) high material loading, high fiber volume fraction, and welded interfiber contacts of the electrospun mats.