High-Capacity Anode Materials for All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries

This mini-review article summarizes the recent progress of the all-solid-state lithium ion batteries with high capacity anodes. Although the theoretical capacity of Si is exceptionally high, the large volume change during cycling is a severe drawback for practical applications. The volume change of the active materials leads to mechanical degradation and electrical contact loss, resulting in a poor cycling performance. Recently, the number of reports about Si anodes in liquid electrolytes has significantly increased, leading to the better understanding of the electrochemical performances of Si. For the realization of the lithium ion batteries with a high capacity and safety, high capacity alloy anodes are highly required to be used in the all-solid-state batteries. However, at the present stage, the research studies of high capacity anodes with solid electrolytes are scarce compared to the vast amount of reports using a liquid electrolyte. The selection of the solid electrolytes is also a key factor for the stable performance of high capacity anodes in the all-solid-state batteries, while previous studies on Si anodes have mainly focused on the fabrication of the hollow structured anodes for reducing their volume expansion. This review will provide some reports about the cycling properties of high capacity anodes in the all-solid-state batteries and the SEI formation at the anode interface of the solid electrolytes. The potential of the high capacity anodes for practical applications in the all-solid-state batteries will be discussed.