The SiLi-ion Inc. approach is based on technology exclusively licensed from the University of Minnesota and the University of California Riverside. Ultra-small silicon particles enable outstanding energy density (1,100 mAh/g), world-class coulumbic efficiency, and cycle life, and can be produced at a very large scale using plasma-based manufacturing.

The material is based on two key innovations.

• The first describes the production of high-quality silicon powders via a plasma process. This technology rapidly converts silane gas into small silicon particles with a near 100% conversion efficiency, giving SiLi-ion access to raw silicon powders of the highest quality.

• The second innovation describes the surface modification of the silicon particles with a highly graphitic carbon shell, which is necessary to achieve good performance as a battery electrode material.

Prof. Mangolini, SiLi-ion Inc. co-founder, is the inventor of both technologies. The technologies have been described in the journal Nano Letters, one of the most renowned publication venues for nanomaterials research[i]. SiLi-ion Inc. has secured an exclusive license to the silicon production process and is in negotiation to secure a license for the surface modification technology. SiLi-ion Inc. has validated its approach by testing its materials in pouch-size full cells at Polaris Battery Lab (https://www.polarisbatterylabs.com/) and the Michigan Battery Lab (https://materialsresearch.umich.edu/battery-home/). SiLi-ion Inc’s approach is the only one that combines the high energy density of silicon with easily scalable manufacturing and seamless integration into the current lithium-ion battery architecture.

Our synthesis approach is based on abundant and sustainable materials (silicon and carbon), is simple, cost-effective, and designed to be compatible with large-volume material production. Additionally, our innovation provides an easy-to-implement route to increase the energy density of Li-ion batteries without requiring any change to the current battery production protocol (i.e., no capital investment is needed for the Li-ion battery manufacturers).

[i] Nava, G., Schwan, J., Boebinger, M. G., McDowell, M. T., & Mangolini, L. (2019). Silicon-Core–Carbon-Shell Nanoparticles for Lithium-Ion Batteries: Rational Comparison between Amorphous and Graphitic Carbon Coatings. Nano Letters, 19(10), 7236-7245. doi:10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b02835