Pre-Lithiation of Silicon Anode via Oxygen and Sulfur Chemistry

Owing to its exceptionally high specific capacity, silicon anode is a promising up-and-coming candidate for the next generation of energy high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). One of the significant problems of silicon anode is its large first-cycle irreversibility, leading to a substantial loss of recyclable lithium originating from the metal oxide cathode materials in a full cell. Pre-lithiation is considered a highly appealing technique to compensate the active lithium losses and increase practical energy density. Various pre-lithiation techniques have been evaluated so far, including both cathode pre-lithiation and anode pre-lithiation. In most cases, pre-lithiation compensates for the 1st cycle of active lithium loss, attributed mainly to SEI formation. This technology increases the remaining amount of active/cyclable lithium inside the cell during continuous charge/discharge cycling. It also increases reversible capacity and energy density. This thesis will go over studies about the realization of lithium oxide, lithium peroxide (Li2O/Li2O2), and pre-lithiatied sulfur (such as Li2S) as low-cost and low-weight lithium sources. At the same time, issues and solutions for using those pre-lithiating reagents as lithium sources were discussed. At the same time, other emerging battery technologies beyond Li-ion were discovered including lithium metal and multivalent-ion batteries