Our new paper in Surfaces & Interfaces (Q1) "Atomic Layer Deposited Tantalum Nitride-Derived Interphases for Improving Interfacial Charge Transfer in Silicon Anodes for Lithium-ion Batteries"

Silicon anodes suffer from severe interfacial degradation caused by repeated volume changes during electrochemical cycling, resulting in rapid capacity decay and increased polarization. Herein, tantalum nitride (TaN)-derived interphases were formed on silicon particles within porous electrodes by atomic layer deposition to stabilize the electrode-electrolyte interface. Electron microscopy revealed a continuous and conformal TaN-derived interphase on the examined Si particles, while X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiling and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry showed its depth-dependent chemical composition. The best-performing 50×TaN@Si electrode delivered an initial discharge capacity of 3325 mAh g⁻¹ with an initial Coulombic efficiency of approximately 92%, while exhibiting improved cycling stability, enhanced rate capability, lower voltage polarization, and reduced interfacial resistance compared with the pristine Si electrode. Post-cycling analyses further revealed reduced electrode expansion and lower accumulation of LiF- and lithium-silicate-containing SEI products, consistent with reduced interfacial reconstruction. These findings provide insight into the structural and chemical evolution of ALD-derived TaN interphases and demonstrate their effectiveness in stabilizing the electrode-electrolyte interface of silicon anodes.