Systems and methods for potassium enhancing silicon-containing anodes for improved cyclability

1. A method for enhancing a silicon-containing anode for a battery cell, the method comprising:

providing a silicon-containing anode having reversible electrochemical capabilities comprising a silicon-containing material and an anode material compatible with a lithium-ion battery chemistry having porous and conductive mechanical properties;

enriching a surface layer of the silicon-containing anode with sodium ions to intersperse the sodium ions between silicon atoms of the silicon-containing material; and

displacing the sodium ions with potassium ions to form a compression layer in the silicon-containing anode, wherein potassium ions place the silicon atoms of the silicon-containing material in a pre-compressive state to counteract internal stress exerted on the silicon-containing material.

2. The method for enhancing the silicon-containing anode for a battery cell of claim 1 , wherein enriching the surface layer of the silicon-containing anode with the sodium ions comprises immersing the silicon-containing material in a sodium nitrate solution.

3. The method for enhancing the silicon-containing anode for a battery cell of claim 1 , wherein displacing the sodium ions with the potassium ions to form the compression layer comprises immersing the surface layer of the silicon-containing material enriched with the sodium ions in a potassium nitrate solution.

4. A method for enhancing a silicon-containing anode for a battery cell, the method comprising:

providing a silicon-containing anode comprising a silicon-containing material;

enriching a surface layer of the silicon-containing material with sodium ions; and

following enriching the surface layer of the silicon-containing material with the sodium ions, displacing some of the sodium ions with potassium ions to form a compression layer within the silicon-containing anode to counteract internal stress exerted on the silicon-containing material by placing silicon atoms within the silicon-containing material in a pre-compressive state.

5. The method for enhancing the silicon-containing anode of claim 4 , wherein the silicon-containing anode has reversible electrochemical capabilities and comprises an anode material compatible with lithium-ion battery chemistry having porous and conductive mechanical properties.

6. The method for enhancing the silicon-containing anode of claim 4 , wherein enriching the surface layer of the silicon-containing material with the sodium ions comprises immersing the silicon-containing material in a sodium-containing solution.

7. The method for enhancing the silicon-containing anode of claim 6 , wherein the sodium-containing solution comprises a sodium nitrate solution.

8. The method for enhancing the silicon-containing anode of claim 6 , wherein the sodium-containing solution comprises a salt bath.

9. The method for enhancing the silicon-containing anode of claim 6 , wherein displacing the sodium ions with the potassium ions to form the compression layer comprises immersing the surface layer of the silicon-containing material enriched with the sodium ions in a potassium-containing solution.

10. The method for enhancing the silicon-containing anode of claim 9 , wherein the potassium solution comprises a potassium nitrate solution.

11. The method for enhancing a silicon-containing anode of claim 4 , wherein the silicon-containing anode comprises 3 to 30 percent by weight silicon.

12. The method for enhancing the silicon-containing anode of claim 4 , wherein the silicon-containing material comprises at least one of a silicene, a silicon oxide, or a silicon carbide.

13. An enhanced silicon-containing anode for a battery cell, the anode comprising:

an anode material having reversible electrochemical capabilities;

a silicon-containing material comprising silicon particles; and

a compression layer comprising potassium ions interspersed between the silicon particles in a surface layer of the silicon-containing material, wherein the potassium ions in the compression layer counteract internal stress exerted on the silicon particles by placing the silicon-containing material in a pre-compressive state.

14. The enhanced silicon-containing anode of claim 13 , wherein the enhanced silicon-containing anode is part of a battery cell.

15. The enhanced silicon-containing anode of claim 13 , wherein the silicon-containing material comprises a silicon oxide.

16. The enhanced silicon-containing anode of claim 13 , wherein the silicon-containing material comprises at least one of silicene, SiC, SiO, SiO 2 , SiO 3 , or SiO 4 .

17. The enhanced silicon-containing anode of claim 13 , wherein the compression layer is formed by:

enriching the surface layer of the silicon-containing material with sodium ions by immersing the silicon-containing material in a sodium-containing solution; and

following enriching the surface layer of the silicon-containing material with the sodium ions, displacing the sodium ions with the potassium ions by immersing the silicon-containing material in a potassium-containing solution.

18. The enhanced silicon-containing anode of claim 13 further comprising sodium ions.

19. The enhanced silicon-containing anode of claim 13 , wherein the surface layer extends from a surface of the silicon-containing material to a depth of 100 nm towards a bulk of the silicon-containing material.

20. The enhanced silicon-containing anode of claim 13 , wherein the silicon-containing material comprising 3 to 30 weight percent silicon.