The present study describes a novel strategy for preparing thin Silicon 2D and 3D electrodes for lithium ion batteries by a spin coating method. A homogeneous and stable suspension of Si nanoparticles (SiNPs) was prepared by dispersing the nanoparticles in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) or in the room temperature ionic liquid 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (Pyr14TFSI). This proposed methodology was successfully employed to prepare 2D and 3D with different aspect ratios electrodes. Both 2D and 3D materials were then used as anode materials. The 2D SiNPs anodes exhibit a high reversible capacity, which is close to 3500 mAh·g−1 at C/10. For a higher discharge rate, the capacity of the 2D anode is considerably improved by dispersing the nanoparticles in Pyr14TFSI instead of NMP solvent. In order to further improve the anode performances, graphene particles were added to the SiNPs suspension. The anodes prepared using this suspension method exhibit relatively low columbic efficiency during the first few cycles (less than 30%) and low reversible capacity (2800 mAh·g−1 at C/10). The 3D SiNPs (NMP) electrode shows a higher intensity during cyclic voltammograms and a better stability under galvanostatic cycling than the 2D SiNPs (NMP) electrode.
This study reports a sustainable approach for developing electrodes for microsupercapacitors. This approach includes the synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles via a green sol–gel method and the deposition of thin films of that electrochemically active material on three-dimensional (3D) Si substrates with a high area enlargement factor (AEF) via a simple, fast, and inexpensive spin-coating pathway. The thickness of the film was first optimized via its deposition over two-dimensional (2D) substrates to achieve high capacitances to provide high energy density but also to deliver a good rate capability to ensure the power density required for a supercapacitor device. A film thickness of ~120 nm realizes the best compromise between the electronic/ionic conductivity and capacitance in a supercapacitor device. Such layers of TiO2 were successfully coated onto 3D microstructured substrates with different architectures, such as trenches and pillars, and different aspect ratios. The spin-coating-based route developed here has been established to be superior as, on the one hand, a conformal deposition can be achieved over high AEF subtracts, and on the other hand, the 3D electrodes present higher surface capacitances than those obtained using other deposition techniques. The rate capability and appreciable cyclability ensure a reliable supercapacitor behavior.