Breakthrough double-layer design enhances silicon battery performance in electric vehicles

Breakthrough double-layer design enhances silicon battery performance in electric vehicles

by Sophie Jenkins

London, UK (SPX) Oct 25, 2025

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have demonstrated that a novel double-layer electrode design, guided by operando imaging, significantly improves the cyclic stability and rapid charging performance of automotive batteries. Their findings indicate the new silicon-based composite electrodes could reduce battery costs by up to 30 percent while boosting capacity and lifespan.

The research team, led by Dr Xuekun Lu, introduced an evidence-based double-layer architecture to address longstanding hurdles with silicon electrode degradation. Silicon’s high theoretical capacity is offset by expansion of up to 300 percent during operation, causing rapid wear in standard designs. The proposed double-layer structure mitigates these volume changes, resulting in far greater durability and performance compared to traditional electrodes.

Advanced multimodal operando imaging, deployed during the study, gave the team new insights into the electro-chemo-mechanical processes at work within graphite and silicon composite electrodes. This approach enabled them to refine microstructural design on a fundamental level.

“This study opens new avenues for innovating 3D composite electrode architectures, pushing the boundaries of energy density, cycle life, and charging speed in automotive batteries, and thereby accelerating large-scale EV adoption.” said Dr Xuekun Lu, study lead.

Professor David Greenwood, CEO of the WMG High Value Manufacturing Catapult Centre, commented: “High silicon anodes are an important technology pathway for high energy density batteries in applications like Automotive. This study offers a much deeper understanding of the way in which their microstructure affects their performance and degradation, and will provide a basis for better battery design in the future”

The research is published in Nature Nanotechnology.

Research Report:Unravelling Electro-Chemo-Mechanical Processes in Graphite/ Silicon Composites for Designing Nanoporous and Microstructured Battery Electrodes