Work

Upcycling Discarded Photovoltaic Silicon into High‐Performance Anode Material

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Silicon has emerged as a highly promising anode material for next‐generation lithium‐ion batteries owing to its exceptional theoretical capacity. Giving discarded photovoltaic (PV) silicon a new life in silicon‐based anode materials can avoid resource waste and achieve a leap in value. Herein, we propose a sustainable strategy for the valorization of PV waste silicon into a high‐performance anode material. The porous spherical structure, constructed via spray drying, can effectively mitigate volume expansion during the cycling process while facilitating lithium‐ion transport. An external carbon coating can further enhance electronic conductivity and suppress parasitic reactions at the silicon‐electrolyte interface. As a result, the obtained spherical porous p‐Si/C@C‐100 anode delivers the capacities of 1075.4 and 834.4 mA h g −1 after 300 and 345 cycles at 1 and 2 A g −1 , respectively. Thus, such a work underscores a critical role of rational porous engineering and robust carbon encapsulation in enabling fast‐charging Si/C anodes, offering an economical and green pathway for recycling waste silicon from discarded solar cell panels.

Source: ChemSusChem

DOI: 10.1002/cssc.70583