The technology of silicon anodes appears to be reaching maturity, with high-energy Si cells already in pilot-scale production. However, the performance of these systems can be difficult to replicate in academic settings, making it challenging to translate research findings into solutions that can be implemented by the battery industry. Part of this difficulty arises from the lack of access to engineered Si particles and anodes, as electrode formulations and the materials themselves have become valuable intellectual property for emerging companies. Here, we summarize the efforts by Argonne’s Cell Analysis, Modeling, and Prototyping (CAMP) Facility in developing Si-based prototypes made entirely from commercially available materials. We describe the many challenges we encountered when testing high-loading electrodes (>5 mAh cm ⁻² ) and discuss strategies to mitigate them. With the right electrode and electrolyte design, we show that our pouch cells containing ≥ 70 wt% SiO _x can achieve 600–1,000 cycles at C/3 and meet projected energy targets of 700 Wh L ⁻¹ and 350 Wh kg ⁻¹ . These results provide a practical reference for research teams seeking to advance silicon-anode development using accessible materials.

Four Zn metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), {[Zn₂(2,6-ndc)₂(2-Pn)]·DMF}_n (1), {[Zn₂(cca)₂(2-Pn)]·DMF}_n (2), {[Zn₂(thdc)₂(2-Pn)]·3DMF}_n (3), and {[Zn₂(1,4-ndc)₂(2-Pn)]·1.5DMF}_n (4), were synthesized from zinc nitrate and N,N′-bis(pyridin-2-yl)benzene-1,4-diamine (2-Pn) with naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (2,6-H₂ndc), 4-carboxycinnamic acid (H₂cca), 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylic acid (H₂thdc), and naphthalene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid (1,4-H₂ndc), respectively. MOFs 1–4 were all constructed from similar dinuclear paddlewheel {Zn₂(COO)₄} clusters and resulted in the formation of three kinds of uninodal 6-connected non-interpenetrated frameworks. MOFs 1 and 2 suit a topologic 4⁸·6⁷-net with 17.6% and 16.8% extra-framework voids, respectively, 3 adopts a pillared-layer open framework of 4⁸·6⁶·8-topology with sufficient free voids of 39.9%, and 4 features a pcu-type pillared-layer framework of 4¹²·6³-topology with sufficient free voids of 30.9%. CO₂ sorption studies exhibited typical reversible type I isotherms with CO₂ uptakes of 55.1, 84.6, and 64.3 cm³ g⁻¹ at 195 K and P/P₀ =1 for the activated materials 1′, 2′, and 4′, respectively. The coverage-dependent isosteric heat of CO₂ adsorption (Q_st) gave commonly decreased Q_st traces with increasing CO₂ uptake for all the three materials and showed an adsorption enthalpy of 32.5 kJ mol⁻¹ for 1′, 38.3 kJ mol⁻¹ for 2′, and 23.5 kJ mol⁻¹ for 4′ at zero coverage.