Mussel-Inspired Polydopamine-Functionalized Super-P as a Conductive Additive for High-Performance Silicon Anodes

The study has developed a facile polydopamine (PD) surface coating method for a typical conductive additive, Super-P. This method is efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly, and it can be used for the mass production of Super-P. PD treatment converts the hydrophobic surfaces of Super-P into hydrophilic surfaces, facilitating slurry preparation, and slurry coating for the fabrication of Si-based electrodes. Furthermore, the unique adhesion properties of PD and its ability to form a cross-linking network with polymeric binders such as poly(acrylic acid) improve the cycle performance of Si anodes containing PD-treated Super-P (1395.1 mAh g^–1 after 1000 cycles, and 1200 mA g^–1 for charging and discharging processes). A postmortem scanning electron microscopy study reveals that PD-treated Super-P efficiently reduces the mechanical stress of Si anodes caused by large volumetric changes that occur during lithiation and delithiation.