Role of the binder on the failure mechanism of Si nano-composite electrodes for Li-ion batteries

In this work a novel method is used to fabricate uniform thin layer electrodes based on nano-silicon composite material. The manufacture process, based on a combination of Laser assisted Chemical Vapor Pyrolysis and Electro-Spray Deposition, allows the forming of highly uniform and highly porous surface electrodes. By controlling the particle synthesis and deposition parameters it is possible to obtain samples that are highly reproducible in terms of their morphology. Electrosprayed nano-composite electrodes show high specific capacity. The capacity retention of these types of electrodes is strongly dependant on the binder's nature. The capacity fading mechanism has been further investigated and we suggest a simple mechanical model, which is supported by one of the two CMC binding mechanism already proposed in literature. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.