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This work demonstrates the feasibility of a novel solvent‐free anode production for lithium‐ion batteries. It combines a modified dry‐mixing procedure with an innovative electrostatic coating process. The mixing is divided into two steps. At first, carbon black and binder are deagglomerated and recombined to a matrix structure by intensive mixing. In a second less intensive step, this matrix is blended with graphite. The powder mixture is fluidized and then transferred to the current collector by inducing a high voltage. After a subsequent hot pressing step, the powder coating is permanently fixed on the current collector. This procedure is presented with three different fluorinated binders. Furthermore, effects of different mixing intensities on the powder and electrode properties are examined. The electrodes are investigated in the three‐electrode T‐cell setup versus lithium metal to examine their C‐rates and cycle stabilities. The produced anodes offer comparable electrochemical performance to conventional wet‐coated ones on electrode and cell levels. Overall, this new process is a suitable alternative to the conventional electrode production techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A homogeneous nanocomposite of SnSe and carbon black, denoted as SnSe/C nanocomposite, was fabricated by high energy ball milling and empolyed as a high performance anode material for both sodium-ion batteries and lithium-ion batteries. The X-ray diffraction patterns, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy observations confirmed that SnSe in SnSe/C nanocomposite was homogeneously distributed within carbon black. The nanocomposite anode exhibited enhanced electrochemical performances including a high capacity, long cycling behavior and good rate performance in both sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) and lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). In SIBs, an initial capacitiy of 748.5 mAh g −1 was obtained and was maintained well on cycling (324.9 mAh g −1 at a high current density of 500 mA g −1 in the 200 th cycle) with 72.5% retention of second cycle capacity (447.7 mAh g −1 ). In LIBs, high initial capacities of approximately 1097.6 mAh g −1 was obtained, and this reduced to 633.1 mAh g −1 after 100 cycles at 500 mA g −1 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon can be used in a variety of applications. Particularly, silicon particles are attracting increased attention as energy storage materials for lithium-ion batteries. However, silicon has a limited cycling performance owing to its peeling from the current collector and the volume expansion that occurs during alloying with lithium in the charging process. Significant contributors to this problem are the even distribution of silicon nanoparticles within the carbon matrix and their deep placement in the internal structure. In this study, we synthesized silicon nanoparticles and carbon materials via a bottom-up approach using a new method called plasma in solution. Silicon nanoparticles and the carbon matrix were synthesized in a structure similar to carbon black. It was confirmed that the silicon particles were evenly distributed in the carbon matrix. In addition, the evaluation of the electrochemical performance of the silicon–carbon matrix (Si–C) composite material showed that it exhibited stable cycling performance with high reversible capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]