Battery Cell Electrode Composition for Silicon Anode Cycling Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

The use of silicon as a negative electrode material in lithium-ion batteries results in poor cycling performance due to significant volumetric changes during charging and discharging, leading to electrolyte solution loss and poor lithium plating, which affects battery capacity and stability.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a second lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese oxide with a high nickel content in the positive electrode active material, which shrinks during charging to create voids that store the expelled electrolyte, facilitating its reflux during discharging and improving lithium plating, thereby enhancing cycling performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If silicon-based material is used as negative electrode active material, then specific capacity is improved, but volumetric changes during charging and discharging cause electrolyte solution loss and poor cycling performance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespecific capacityVSAvoidcycling performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The positive electrode active material is segmented into two distinct components: first lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese oxide and second lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese oxide with different nickel contents. This segmentation allows the second material (with higher nickel content ≥0.8) to undergo greater lattice shrinkage during charging, creating voids that accommodate electrolyte reflux, while the first material provides structural stability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the nickel content parameter in lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese oxide from a uniform composition to a dual-composition system where the second material has nickel content ≥0.8 (higher than the first material). This parameter change enables significant lattice shrinkage during charging, creating voids that store expelled electrolyte and facilitate its reflux during discharging, thereby resolving the electrolyte loss issue

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Quantity of substance

If silicon-based material expands during charging, then lithium insertion capacity is improved, but electrolyte solution is squeezed out and cannot reflux timely during discharging

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelithium insertion capacityVSAvoidelectrolyte solution reflux timing

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The second lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese oxide material is pre-designed with high nickel content (≥0.8) to ensure it undergoes significant lattice shrinkage during charging before discharging begins. This preliminary shrinkage action creates voids in advance that are ready to store the electrolyte expelled during silicon expansion, ensuring timely electrolyte availability during subsequent discharging

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The second lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese oxide acts as an intermediary component that mediates between the silicon-based material and the electrolyte. Its lattice shrinkage creates a buffer zone (voids) that temporarily stores expelled electrolyte, facilitating its controlled reflux to the negative electrode during discharging, thereby resolving the timing issue of electrolyte return

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution effectively improves the cycling performance of the battery cell by allowing timely reflux of the electrolyte solution, reducing lithium plating issues and maintaining battery capacity.

Implementation Method 1

a lattice of the second lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese oxide shrinks significantly during charging

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLattice shrinkage: Thermal Contraction

Data Source

PatentUS20260031332A1Battery cell, battery, and electrical device

Publication Date: 2026.01.29 CONTEMPORARY AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY CO LTD

AI summary

A battery cell, a battery, and an electrical device. A positive electrode active material of the battery cell comprises a first lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese oxide and a second lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese oxide. A negative electrode active material comprises a silicon-based material and a carbon-based material. A molar content of nickel element in the second lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese oxide is greater than that of nickel element in the first lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese oxide among all transition metal elements, wherein the molar content of the nickel element in the second lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese oxide among all transition metal elements is greater than or equal to 0.8.