Feeling Grateful on My Birthday – Thank You, BEST Lab!
Today, as my amazing graduate students in the BEST Lab celebrate my birthday, I am reminded just how lucky I am to be surrounded by such thoughtful, inspiring, and kind-hearted people.
To my students: Thank you for creating such a warm and joyful celebration—I’m truly touched by your kindness and care. Your creativity, especially in making decorations using research coin cells to create battery trees and flowers, is genuinely delightful and deeply appreciated. Being your mentor is not just a privilege, it's genuinely one of the greatest joys of my career. Each of you brings energy, curiosity, and compassion into our lab every day, making this journey together deeply rewarding.
I'm immensely proud to work with such dedicated and brilliant individuals, and I look forward to seeing you continue to achieve great things.
Here's to another wonderful year together—filled with exciting discoveries, shared achievements, and countless memorable moments.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!
Winston 2025
Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) address key challenges associated with traditional silicon anodes in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) by mitigating pulverization and providing efficient ion transport pathways. However, their high fabrication cost and poor structural stability remain significant obstacles. This study presents a novel SiNW-CNT-rGO composite fabricated via a solid-liquid-solid (SLS) growth mechanism using NiO/Ni catalysts to establish a 3D conductive network. The composite integrates carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to enhance electrical conductivity and stabilize the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Embedding the composite in 3D nickel foam (NF) further improves structural integrity and enhances Li+ ion diffusion, outperforming conventional copper foil (CF) current collectors in capacity across various rates. The integrated design provides efficient electron and ion transport pathways while mitigating mechanical stresses. Electrochemical evaluations reveal that the SiNW-CNT-rGO@NF anode significantly improves specific capacity, cycling stability, and rate capability compared to SiNW-based anodes with CF. These findings reveal the potential of the 3D SiNW-CNT-rGO@NF architecture as a scalable and cost-effective solution for next-generation high-performance LIBs.
The occurrence of Coulombic efficiency (CE) troughs in silicon (Si) anodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) presents a critical yet overlooked concern that could lead to battery failure in full cells. Here we conduct a comprehensive investigation into this previously unreported phenomenon. Factors influencing CE trough occurrence and severity, including electrode thickness, Si particle size, cycling rate, electrolyte composition, and voltage window, are systematically examined. Experimental results demonstrate that thinner electrodes and slower cycling rates accelerate CE trough onset, whereas employing a THF-based electrolyte or a narrower voltage window (0.01-0.5 V) results in stable electrochemical performance without CE troughs, concurrently with the presence of LixSi. Structural analysis via HAADF-STEM and SEM reveals a close association between CE trough severity, electrode volume expansion, and delamination, influenced by the formation of a sponge-like structure and SEI stability. These findings yield valuable insights into CE trough mechanisms and provide guidance for mitigating their occurrence through electrode design, electrolyte selection, and operational parameters, thereby advancing high-performance LIB development. Future research directions involve exploring the role of SEI components and alternative electrolyte additives to enhance SEI stability and mitigate CE troughs.
