Aerosol Multicoated Graphene Nanoplatelets/Nano Si Composite as Anodes in Li-Ion Batteries

Silicon has been investigated as promising anode materials in lithium-ion batteries due to its high theoretical specific capacity. Nonetheless, high-capacity Si nanoparticles succumb to limited electrical conductivity, drastic volume change, and harsh aggregation upon cycling. In this paper, a unique multicoated composite is fabricated through innovative, simple, atmospheric pressure, and cost-effective atmospheric pressure aerosol-assisted vapor deposition (APAAVD). The fabrication method is reported for the first time with a well-distributed graphene nanoplatelets/nano-silicon composite layer through the processing with an organic solvent. The plane of the layers facilitates high rate capability, whereas the voids between the layers buffer volume expansion of silicon for good cycling performance. The multicoated composite anode (10 wt.% Si) presents a specific capacity of ~500 mAh g-1 at 0.17 A/g and capacity retention of 85.8 % after 500 discharge/charge cycles. The facile method preserves the combined advantages of atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition and aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition, offering an encouraging research arena for initial laboratory tests in rechargeable Li-ion batteries. Besides, two approaches for the presentation of cyclic discharge/charge patterns are proposed with generalized algorithms through linear algebra.