Honeycomb-Structured Silicon: Remarkable Morphological Changes Induced by Electrochemical (De)Lithiation

Arrays of silicon honeycombs are evaluated as a negative electrode material for lithium-ion microbatteries. The morphological changes of the structure are investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and it is revealed that the honeycomb structure can reversibly withstand huge mechanical deformations. Free-standing structures are envisioned to serve advanced future applications, such as switchable sieves and microelectromechanical systems.