Methods of pre-lithiating electroactive material and electrodes including pre-lithiated electroactive material

1. A method of pre-lithiating an electroactive material for an electrode for an electrochemical cell, the method comprising:

reacting a first lithiating agent comprising LiH with the electroactive material comprising silicon to form a pre-lithiated electroactive material comprising a lithium silicide.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein reacting the first lithiating agent with the electroactive material comprises one or more of:

(i) heating the first lithiating agent and the electroactive material in the presence of a first inert gas; and

(ii) mechanically alloying the first lithiating agent and the electroactive material in the presence of a second inert gas.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first lithiating agent and the electroactive material are heated to a temperature of greater than or equal to about 350° C.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lithium silicide is selected from the group consisting of Li 7 Si 3 , Li 13 Si 4 , L 21 Si 5 , Li 12 Si 7 , Li 4.7 Si 2 , and a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising admixing an electrically conductive material with the pre-lithiated electroactive material, wherein the electrically conductive material is selected from the group consisting of carbon black, graphite, carbon nanotubes, carbon fibers, nitrogen-doped carbon, and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

admixing a solvent with a polymeric binder and the pre-lithiated electroactive material to form a mixture, wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of: N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethyl sulfoxide, propylene carbonate, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, and combinations thereof; and

applying the mixture to a current collector and volatilizing the mixture to form the electrode.