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  • Accepted Manuscript: Insights into the Li Intercalation and SEI Formation on LiSi Nanoclusters

Title: Insights into the Li Intercalation and SEI Formation on LiSi Nanoclusters

We report a first-principles atomic level assessment of the lithiation and reactivity of pre-lithiated Si clusters. Density functional theory formation energy calculations reveal that the pre-lithiated Li 16Si 16 cluster exposed to two different Li fluxes can store Li between the concentrations of Li 2.5Si and Li 3.5Si. This increase in storage capacity is attributed to the start of an amorphization process in the cluster, and more importantly these results show that the intercalation reaction can be controlled by the flux of the Li-ions. However, in a real battery, the lithiation of the anode occurs simultaneously to the electrode-electrolyte reactions. Here we simulate the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation and simultaneous lithiation of a Li 16Si 16 cluster in contact with two different electrolyte solutions: one with pure ethylene carbonate (EC), and another with a 1 M solution of LiPF 6 in EC. Our ab initio molecular dynamics simulations show that the solvent and salt are decomposed leading to the initial stages of the SEI layer formation and large part of the added Li becomes part of the SEI. Interestingly, the pure EC solution results in lower storage capacity and higher reactivity, whereas the presence of the salt causes the oppositemore » effect: higher lithiation and reduced reactivity.« less
Authors:
 [1] ;  [1] ;  [2]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States). Department of Chemical Engineering
  2. Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States). Department of Chemical Engineering, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Department of Chemistry
Publication Date:
Grant/Contract Number:
EE0007766
Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of the Electrochemical Society
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 164; Journal Issue: 11; Journal ID: ISSN 0013-4651
Publisher:
The Electrochemical Society
Research Org:
Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, College Station, TX (United States)
Sponsoring Org:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Vehicle Technologies Office (EE-3V)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
25 ENERGY STORAGE; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; ab initio molecular dynamics; density functional theory; irreversible capacity; lithiation; SEI; silicon anodes
OSTI Identifier:
1430637