Nanoscale silicon-based actuators with extremely large actuation strain and extremely low driving voltage

The coupling between lithiation reaction of silicon and the considerable volume change has been widely recognized as an adverse effect which hinders the practical application of silicon-based lithium-ion batteries. Here we theoretically demonstrate a novel class of nanoscale electrochemically-driven silicon actuators, in virtue of the “unfavorable” gigantic volume expansion engendered by lithiation. Two representative design prototypes are reported, namely, a nano-sized flat-film silicon actuator and a nanowire silicon actuator. Our thermodynamic analysis establishes the operation condition of the actuators by identifying the electrochemical driving force and mechanical resistance due to lithiation-induced stress. We show that the nano-actuator exhibits an extremely low driving voltage about 1 V and an extremely high strain of actuation up to 300%, which goes far beyond the features of most common actuator materials. Given a mechanical load, the flat-film silicon actuator features a constant actuation strain and the nanowire actuator can provide tunable actuation strain. The results from the study offer quantitative guidance to the design of the novel silicon-based nano-actuators.