Investigation the role of PAN binder in improving the efficiency of Si/rGO anode material for lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

Silicon-based anode materials are considered promising alternatives for conventional graphite anodes of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their eco-friendliness and high specific capacity. But, some drawbacks such as large volume changes and poor conductivity limit their wide usage. Hence, the utilization of graphene-based materials can enhance the electrochemical characteristics of these anodes. Additionally, the polar inherent of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) binder can lead to a great adhesive of active materials which causes better cyclability. Therefore, in this study, a cost-effective and scalable procedure was employed to produce silicon/reduced graphene oxide (Si/rGO) composition via thermal annealing of GO to prepare a suitable anode material with PAN binder for LIBs. Inspired by this structure, a novel anode active material was fabricated which exhibited a high initial discharge capacity of 1247.32 mAh/g at 0.05 C with ~ 99% columbic efficiency.