Abstract
Silicon (Si) is the most promising anode material for new generation high-performance Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), but the colossal volume expansion and poor conductivity limit its applications. In this work, we develop a mussel-pearl-inspired Si-embedded carbon/graphite composite (Si/C composite) via a two-step process of ball-milling and subsequent annealing to overcome these obstacles. With this method, Si nanoparticles (Si NPs) are successfully embedded into dual-carbon structure with efficient protection like pearls in mussel. The Si/C composite as anode material shows an ultrastable reversible capacity of 670 mAh g−1 with a superior Initial Coulombic Efficiency (ICE) of 89.4% and an ultrahigh capacity retention of 85% over 850 cycles. Besides, the prepared materials show superior rate capacity at the current density of 5 C. The superior electrochemical performances can be attributed to the excellent structure stability of mussel-pearl structure during cycling, which provides effective protection for Si NPs and accommodate the volume expansion. These results prove that a rational structure design for Si/C composite can present excellent electrochemical performances through a simple and scalable strategy.
Published Version
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