Preparation and characterization of silicon-based three-dimensional cellular anode for lithium ion battery

A three-dimensional cellular silicon-based anode was prepared by casting milled silicon powders into the “valley-ridge” copper architecture, then its electrochemical property and failure mechanism were studied by means of charging–discharging (C–D) test, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). In comparison with common 2D anode fabricated by “slurry-coating” technology on flat copper foil, the 3D copper framework has shown a great structure advantage in restricting severe volume changes of silicon particles. This “stress-alleviated” action can effectively impede strain-induced loosening happened inside electrodes during charging and discharging, and consequently improve cycle-life and coulombic efficiency of silicon-based anode.