Synthesis of silicon nanoparticles by electric discharge modification of micropowder in ethanol

Abstract

Nanosized crystalline silicon material with particle size in the range of 2–5 nm was synthesized by plasma treatment of commercial silicon micropowder consisting of submicron amorphous spherical particles with an average size of 250 nm under the action of electric discharge in ethanol. The properties of the obtained nanomaterials were studied using optical absorption and Raman spectroscopy, as well as electron microscopy methods. The possibility of additional laser-induced modification of the obtained nanostructures was considered. The silicon-containing nanomaterial synthesized in the work passed testing of electrochemical characteristics as an anode material for a lithium-ion battery and showed a specific capacity of ~800 mA ∙ h/g with a stable Coulomb efficiency of about 100% for 55 cycles.