Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

A conductive polymer and silicon nanoparticles were used to form elastic and porous micron-sized composite secondary particles using spray precipitation method. These composite secondary particles are used to fabricate a lithium-ion anode electrode. Although the Si volume changes during charge and discharge process, the composite secondary particles retain their size during these processes, to maintain a stable electrode microstructure. This dimension stability leads to improved electrode cycling stability and enhanced rate performance. © 2013 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.