Abstract
In this paper, a cost-effective strategy for fabricating silicon-carbon composites was designed to further improve the electrochemical performance and commercialization prospects of Si anodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Silicon-carbon fibers (CFs) were prepared by loading Si nanoparticles (SiNPs) on interconnected carbon fibers via an electrospinning technique (SiNPs@CFs). The Si nanoparticles were obtained by the reduction reaction of natural clay minerals. As a flexible anode for LIBs, the SiNPs@CFs anode demonstrated a reversible capacity of 1238.1 mAh·g−1 and a capacity retention of 77% after 300 cycles (in contrast to the second cycle) at a current density of 0.5 A·g−1. With a higher current density of 5.0 A·g−1, the electrode showed a specific capacity of 528.3 mAh·g−1 after 1000 cycles and exhibited a superior rate capability compared to Si nanoparticles. The excellent electrochemical properties were attributed to the construction of flexible electrodes and the composite comprising carbon fibers, which lessened the volume expansion and improved the conductivity of the system.
Highlights
With the aggravation of the energy crisis and increasing environmental concerns, research on green sustainable energy-storage technology has gained prominence in the energy-storage industry [1,2,3].Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have attracted growing attention owing to their high energy density, long service life, and environmental benignity [4,5]
To enhance the electrochemical performance and expand their application, long-term efforts have been focused on advanced anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) [6,7,8,9,10]
Silicon (Si) has been considered a promising anodic candidate for next-generation LIBs owing to its abundance, high theoretical capacity
Summary
Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have attracted growing attention owing to their high energy density, long service life, and environmental benignity [4,5]. To enhance the electrochemical performance and expand their application, long-term efforts have been focused on advanced anode materials for LIBs [6,7,8,9,10]. Silicon (Si) has been considered a promising anodic candidate for next-generation LIBs owing to its abundance, high theoretical capacity 10 times higher than that of current commercial graphite), and low reaction potential with Li ions (300% resulting from repeated (de)lithiation processes. The insertion of Li+ in the reaction caused the crystal structure of Si to be Minerals 2018, 8, 180; doi:10.3390/min8050180 www.mdpi.com/journal/minerals
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