Drastic Volume Change Research Articles

Sn3O4 nanosheets with N-doped carbon coating for high performance lithium storage

Tin-based oxides are promising anode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) in virtue of their many advantages including high capacity, abundant reserves and environmental friendliness. Yet, previous studies mainly focus on the SnO2-based anodes for lithium storage. Considering that the mixed valence and layered crystal structure of Sn3O4 may lead to better lithium storage properties, Sn3O4-based anode material is designed and synthesized through a facile hydrothermal method in this work. The as-prepared Sn3O4 nanosheets are coated with N-doped carbon layers (∼15 nm) on both sides through dopamine polymerization and subsequent polydopamine carbonization to solve the issues of poor intrinsic electronic conductivity and drastic volume change during LiSn alloying/dealloying, which have hindered their application in LIBs. With the structural and composition advantages brought by the thick N-doped carbon layers, the Sn3O4@NC nanosheets delivered a remarkable reversible capacity (1222 mAh g−1 after 50 cycles at 200 mA g−1) and excellent rate performance when applied in LIB as anode material, owing to the improved electrical conductivity and strengthened structure stabilities. Importantly, we demonstrate a convenient strategy to realize carbon coating in the fabrication of Sn3O4-based anode materials, which could inspire the development of other Sn3O4-based anode materials with excellent lithium storage properties.

Study of 3D binder-free silicide/silicon anodes for lithium-ion batteries

Silicon anode materials have attracted much attention as an alternative to the graphite anode in Li-ion batteries since the theoretical capacity of silicon is an order of magnitude higher than that of graphite. However, the drastic volume changes of silicon during lithiation/delithiation cause breakup of the electrode, electrical isolation of the active material and capacity fade. Binders and conducting agents, while improving adhesion and electrical conductivity, reduce the volumetric capacity of the Si anodes. In this article, we present the study of improved, easy-to-fabricate binder-free 3D silicon anodes. The anodes are prepared by combining for the first time three approaches: use of Si nanoparticles, use of porous, high-surface-area metal foam current collector and formation of metal silicide layer in between. The fabrication of 3D anodes includes electrophoretic deposition of silicon nanoparticles (SiNP) on copper, nickel, and titanium foams followed by annealing at different temperatures and time. Analysis of morphology and electrochemical performance of composite 3D silicon/silicide anodes reveals that increased annealing time of SiNPs-deposited on Ni foam results in a thicker Ni3Si2 layer, which leads to the enhanced capacity retention and power capability. At C/10 and C/2 rates the reversible capacity of NMC/3DSi-Ni3Si2 cells was 880 and 530 mAh/gSi+Silicide, respectively.

Regulating Lithium Transfer Pathway to Avoid Capacity Fading of Nano Si Through Sub-Nano Scale Interfused Siox /C Coating.

Si nanoparticles (NPs) are considered as a promising high-capacity anode material owing to their ability to prevent mechanical failure from drastic volume change during (de)lithiation. However, upon cycling, a quick capacity fading is still observed for Si NPs, and the underlying mechanism remains elusive. In this contribution, we demonstrate that the quick capacity fading is mainly caused by the generation of dead (electrochemically inert) Si with blocked electron conductivity in a densely composited Si/SEI (solid electrolyte interface) hybrid. This is due to the combined influence of electrolyte-related side reactions and the accompanied agglomeration of Si NPs. We construct a compact, sub-nano scale interfused SiOx /C composite coating onto the Si NPs, and achieve a highly stabilized electrochemistry upon long cycling. The SiOx /C coating with electron/ion dual transport paths and robust mechanical flexibility enables a fast and stable lithium ion/electron dual diffusion pathway towards the encapsulated Si. With fast reaction kinetics, stable SEI, and an anti-agglomeration feature, the obtained Si@SiOx /C composite demonstrates a stable high capacity. This work unravels new perspectives on the capacity fading of Si NPs and provides an effective encapsulating method to remedy the structure degradation and capacity fading of nano Si. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Unlocking the Origins of Highly Reversible Lithium Storage and Stable Cycling in a Spinel High‐Entropy Oxide Anode for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

AbstractDeveloping high‐capacity conversion‐type anodes with superior durability substituting conventional graphite anodes is urgently desired to improve the energy density of lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). However, fatal capacity decay during cycling of the conversion‐type anodes, which is primarily due to their inevitable structural degradation and continuous solid‐electrolyte interphase reformation induced by drastic volume change, has highly restricted their commercialization. And, the interrelated effects of phase transformation, structural evolution, and electrochemical characteristics of the conversion‐type anodes during cycling remain poorly understood. Herein, the findings on the fabrication and understanding of a previously unexplored entropy‐stabilized spinel oxide, (Co0.2Mn0.2V0.2Fe0.2Zn0.2)3O4 as a promising conversion anode for LIBs, exhibiting not only moderate volume change character but also highly reversible capacities of ≈900 mAh g−1 for 500 cycles at 0.2 A g−1 and ≈500 mAh g−1 for 2000 cycles at 3 A g−1, respectively, are reported. Evidenced by in situ transmission electron microscopy coupled with theoretical calculations, its underlying mechanism underpinning highly reversible Li storage is explicitly revealed, which originates from reversible phase transformation and domain reconstruction during cycling. Moreover, the origin of small volume change is also clearly clarified. This work provides renewed mechanistic insights into designing high‐capacity and durable conversion‐type electrode materials for high‐performance LIBs.

Flexible electrospun iron/manganese-based compounds/carbon fibers: Phase transformation and electrochemical properties

Iron compounds have been extensively used as anode materials of lithium-ion batteries because of their low-cost and excellent electrochemical performance. However, iron compounds have a poor cyclic stability as a result of their drastic volume change in the charge/discharge processes. Herein, we propose an effective strategy to improve the cyclic performance of iron compounds by carbon coating and mixing with manganese oxide. To implement this, flexible carbon fibers embedded with Fe/Mn-based nanoparticles are produced by electrospinning with subsequent annealing process. By adjusting the annealing temperatures, the phase transformation of Fe/Mn-based compounds within carbon fibers is investigated in details. As the annealing temperature increases, Fe/Mn precursors (iron acetylacetonate and manganese acetylacetonate) in the fibers decompose gradually and then Fe3O4 and MnO nanoparticles form successively. When the temperature rises to 800 °C, the formed Fe3O4 is gradually reduced by carbon to produce Fe3C while MnO remains unchanged. The carbon fibers loaded with different Fe/Mn-based compounds (Fe3O4, Fe3O4/MnO, Fe3O4/Fe3C/MnO and Fe3C/MnO) are obtained under different annealing temperatures. Among these composites, carbon fibers loaded with Fe3O4/Fe3C/MnO nanoparticles exhibit the best specific capacity (750.23 mAh g−1 after 250 cycles) and cyclic stability, ascribing to the synergistic effect of iron and manganese compounds. Furthermore, it is found that charge transfer impedance of the anodes is reduced and Li+ diffusion ability is improved as the annealing temperature increases, which is ascribed to the increasing content of Fe3C and the short Li+ diffusion distance resulted from the reduced diameter of carbon fibers. The excellent electrochemical performance indicates that the hybrid electrospun nanofibers have a great potential application for flexible lithium-ion batteries.

Multifunctional Additive Ethoxy(pentafluoro)Cyclotriphosphazene Enables Safe Carbonate Electrolyte for SiOx-Graphite/NMC811 Batteries

The silicon or silicon monoxide (SiO x )-graphite/nickel-rich (≥80% Ni) LiNi x Mn y Co z O2 (x+y+z = 1, NMC) cell chemistry is widely regarded as one of the most promising chemistries for next-generation electric vehicle batteries for due to its higher energy density compared to state-of-the-art graphite/Ni-rich NMC batteries. However, the drastic volume change during lithiation and delithiation of silicon poses a significant challenge to realize its high capacity with a practical cycle life. Besides performance degradation, it is desirable to address safety risks stemming from, e.g., the high flammability of carbonate solvents and oxygen release from highly delithiated Ni-rich NMC materials.To address these problems, one of the most effective methods is to develop advanced electrolytes that combine flame-retardant properties and excellent electrochemical performance. Generally, in consideration of the balanced trade-offs between cost, scalability, safety, and electrochemical compatibility, the use of flame retardants is a very promising approach to realize the next-generation nonflammable electrolytes.However, it is still a huge challenge to optimize the electrolyte composition to stabilize Si-based and Ni-rich lithium-ion batteries.Here, the compatibility of the flame retardant ethoxy(pentafluoro)cyclotriphosphazene (PFPN) as additive for carbonate electrolytes is studied, for the first time, in the SiO x -graphite/NMC811 full cells. [1] A synergistic effect is found between PFPN and lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) for the flame retardancy, and a modified electrolyte (1.35M LiPF6 in ethylene carbonate (EC):ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC) (3:7 by vol.) with 10 wt.% fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) and 5 wt.% PFPN) displays a very low self-extinguishing time of only 3 s/g while also maintaining a high ionic conductivity of 8.4 mS/cm at 25 °C. Furthermore, the morphology evolution and interphase composition of both anode and cathode are investigated, gaining important insights into the decomposition mechanism of PFPN to stabilize the electrode-electrolyte interfaces. Meanwhile, the wetting properties of the modified electrolyte are also improved due to the excellent wettability of PFPN. As a result, half and full coin cells with SiO x -graphite anode and NMC811 cathode display better capacity retention during long-term cycling with the modified electrolyte than with 1M LiPF6 in EC:EMC (3:7 by vol.) with 10 wt.% FEC. In addition, the enhanced cycling performance with the modified PFPN-contained electrolyte is also confirmed for 1 Ah SiO x -graphite/NMC811 pouch cells cycled under various pressures. These results open a promising avenue for the development of safe and high-performance electrolytes for silicon-based lithium-ion batteries.

Rapid synthesis of high-entropy antimonides under air atmosphere using microwave method to ultra-high energy density supercapacitors

Electrode materials based on battery-type energy storage principles have high capacity and energy density. However, the drastic structural volume changes caused by electrochemical reaction processes reduce the cyclic durability of the materials. The construction of high-entropy structures can enhance the material structure to accommodate the volume changes during ion embedding/detachment. In this study, a new high-entropy antimonide battery-type electrode material was synthesized for the first time using a domestic microwave oven under air atmosphere. Its lattice and structure were stabilized using high-entropy multi-element system to improve the electrode cycling stability while ensuring its high capacity. The high-entropy antimonides have a capacity of 1850.0 C g−1 at 1 A g−1 and maintain 82.0 % of the initial capacity after 10,000 cycles. Furthermore, the battery-supercapacitor hybrid device (BSH) assembled with Bi2O3 @single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) has a reversible capacity of 600.0 C g−1, and the BSH showed an energy density of 125.0 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 750.0 W kg−1. The BSH meets the standard of secondary batteries, which provides a new feasible method for building energy storage devices with good performance.

Suppression of multistep phase transitions of O3-type cathode for sodium-ion batteries

O3-type layered oxide cathodes have been widely investigated due to their high reversible capacities and sufficient Na+ reservoirs. However, such materials usually suffer from complex multistep phase transitions along with drastic volume changes, leading to the unsatisfied cycle performance. Herein, we report a Mg/Ti co-doped O3-type NaNi0.5Mn0.5O2, which can effectively suppress the complex multistep phase transition and realize a solid-solution reaction within a wide voltage range. It is confirmed that, the Mg/Ti co-doping is beneficial to enhance the structural stability and integrity by absorbing micro-strain and distortions. Thus, the as obtained sample delivers an outstanding cyclic performance (82.3% after 200 cycles at 1 C) in the voltage range of 2.0–4.0 V, and a high discharge capacity of 86.6 mAh/g after 100 cycles within the wide voltage range (2.0–4.5 V), which outperform the existing literatures. This co-doping strategy offers new insights into high performance O3-type cathode for sodium ion batteries.

Ultra-fine SnO2 nanocrystals anchored on reduced graphene oxide as a high-performance anode material for sodium-ion batteries

SnO2 has attracted extensive research attentions as a promising anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to its high theoretical capacity. However, its application is largely hindered by sluggish sodium ion diffusion and drastic volume change during the conversion reaction and alloying process. Herein, ultra-fine SnO2 nanocrystals (3–5 nm) anchored on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is demonstrated as a promising anode material for SIBs. Ultra-fine SnO2 nanocrystals are uniformly grown on rGO sheets by a facile one-step hydrothermal process. Nano-scaled SnO2 grains tolerate volume expansion and provide shortened diffusion pathway for sodium ions, and meanwhile rGO acts as an excellent conductive matrix, thus endowing the composite electrode with excellent electrochemical performance. More importantly, the ratio of SnO2 to rGO in the composite is optimized. The optimized sample delivers an initial charge capacity of 518 mAh g−1 at a current density of 50 mA g−1, and 504 mAh g−1 after 300 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g−1. Furthermore, a capacity of 287 mAh g−1 can be maintained after 1000 cycles at a current density of 1000 mA g−1.

Three-dimensionally multiple protected silicon anode toward ultrahigh areal capacity and stability

Silicon (Si) is considered as one of the most promising candidates for next-generation lithium-ion battery (LIB) anode due to its high theoretical capacity. However, the drastic volume change of Si anodes during lithiation/delithiation processes leads to rapid capacity fade. Herein, a three-dimensional Si anode with multiple protection strategy is proposed, including citric acid-modification of Si particles (CA@Si), GaInSn ternary liquid metal (LM) addition, and porous copper foam (CF) based electrode. The CA modified supports strong adhesive attraction of Si particles with binder and LM penetration maintains good electrical contact of the composite. The CF substrate constructs a stable hierarchical conductive framework, which could accommodate the volume expansion to retain integrity of the electrode during cycling. As a result, the obtained Si composite anode (CF-LM-CA@Si) demonstrates a discharge capacity of 3.14 mAh cm−2 after 100 cycles at 0.4 A g−1, corresponding to 76.1% capacity retention rate based on the initial discharge capacity and delivers comparable performance in full cells. The present study provides an applicable prototype of high-energy density electrodes for LIBs.

Coupling Ternary Selenide SnSb2Se4 with Graphene Nanosheets for High‐Performance Potassium‐Ion Batteries

Although chalcogenide anodes possess higher potassium storage capacity than intercalated‐based graphite, their drastic volume change and the irreversible electrochemical reactions still hinder the effective electron/ion transfer during the potassiation/depotassiation process. To solve the above problems, this article proposes the synthesis of a lamellar nanostructure where graphene nanosheets are embedded with SnSb2Se4 nanoparticles (SnSb2Se4/GNS). In the product, fine monodisperse SnSb2Se4 nanoparticles are coupled with graphene nanosheets to form a porous network framework, which can effectively mitigate the drastic volume changes during electrode reactions and guarantee efficient potassium‐ion storage through the synergistic interactions among multiple elements. Various electrochemical analyses prove that SnSb2Se4 inherits the advantages of the binary Sb2Se3 and SnSe while avoiding their disadvantages, confirming the synergistic effect of the ternary–chalcogenide system. When tested for potassium storage, the obtained composite delivers a high specific capacity of 368.5 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1 and a stable cycle performance of 265.8 mAh g−1 at 500 mA g−1 over 500 cycles. Additionally, the potassium iron hexacyanoferrate cathode and the SnSb2Se4/GNS anode are paired to fabricate the potassium‐ion full cell, which shows excellent cyclic stability. In conclusion, this strategy employs atomic doping and interface interaction, which provides new insights for the design of high‐rate electrode materials.

Restraining volume expansion via ultra-elastic polydimethylsiloxane/carbon nanotubes coatings toward high performance FeS2 cathode

Pyrite FeS2 is considered a promising conversion cathode material due to its high energy density, low cost, and environmental benignity. However, its huge volume variation induced particle pulverization and slow kinetic properties during cycling are the main obstacles to further commercial applications. In this work, a dual-functional polydimethylsiloxane/carbon nanotubes(PDMS/CNTs) coating layer is introduced to overcome these drawbacks. The ultra-elastic PDMS layer can hold the drastic volume change and protect FeS2 from pulverization. Meanwhile, the carbon nanotubes dispersed in PDMS can function as highways to facilitate electron transport kinetics. As a result, FeS2@PDMS-CNTs display a better discharge specific capacity of 559 mAh·g−1, while bare FeS2 only shows an inferior discharge specific capacity of 235 mAh·g−1 after 100 cycles. This work provides a straightforward coating strategy for the formation of a conductively elastic core-shell composite to improve electrochemical performances for the conversion-type reaction materials.

Ferroconcrete-like multilayer VACNTs@Si film for ultra-high areal and volumetric Li-ion storage

Endowing Si-based anodes with both high areal and volumetric capacity is of great importance for their practical application, but this remains extremely challenging. Si-based anodes with high areal capacity are generally designed into porous structures to buffer the drastic volume change during charge/discharge process, which leads to a compromise in volumetric capacities. Herein, through a layer-by-layer technique, multilayer vertically aligned carbon nanotubes supported Si film (VACNTs@Si) with ferroconcrete-like sructures are developed to enhance both areal and volumetric capacities. The VACNTs frameworks facilitate electron transport and stabilize the andoe structure during cycling, while the Si cladding layer can provide a high capacity. A 3-layer VACNTs@Si film exhibits an superior areal/volumetric capacity of 3.59 mAh cm−2/3355.1 mAh cm−3, and high capacity retention of ∼79% after 200 cycles. The ferroconcrete-like structural design offers a promising strategy for the fabrication of the electrodes with ultra-high areal and volumetric capacities.

Nickel ion-anchored helical braided binder network with soft-rigid synergy and self-recovery ability for high-performance silicon anode

Silicon (Si) is one of the most promising anode materials for high-capacity lithium-ion batteries. However, its drastic volume changes during cycling lead to fast capacity decay. Binders play an important role in maintaining the structural integrity of electrodes. This paper proposes a three-dimensional binder network, which synthesized by weaving Ni2+ anchored soft gellan gum chains with linear rigid polyvinyl alcohol chains. Benefiting from the soft-rigid synergy and self-recovery ability of the obtained binder, the Si anode delivers over 1500 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles at 2.1 A g−1, and post-analysis proofs that this binder can buffer the volume changes of Si particles and retain the overall stability of the electrode. In addition, the optimized Si anode still have a high capacity retention of ca. 50% even at 84 A g−1, because the binder network can provide uniform Li+ flux and more Li+ transport channels for the electrode.

Improving Cycle Life of Silicon-Dominant Anodes Based on Microscale Silicon Particles under Partial Lithiation

Using only parts of the maximum capacity of silicon microparticles in a lithium-ion battery (LIB) anode represents a promising material concept. The high capacity, better rate capability compared with graphite and accessibility on an industrial scale, as well as its attractive cost make microsilicon an ideal choice for the next generation anode material. However, currently the cycle life of LIBs using silicon particles in the anode is limited due to drastic volume change of Si during lithiation and delithiation. Continuous formation of a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and the associated lithium loss are the main failure mechanisms, while particle decoupling from the conductive network plays a role mainly during operation at low discharge voltages. The present study discusses approaches on the material- and cell-level to enhance cycle performance of partially lithiated silicon microparticle-based full cells by addressing the previously described failure mechanisms. Reducing the surface area of the silicon particles and coating their surface with carbon to improve the electronic contact, as well as prelithiation to compensate for lithium losses have proven to be the most promising approaches. The advantageous combination of these routes resulted in a significant increase in cycling stability exceeding 600 cycles with 80% capacity retention at an initial capacity of about 1000 mAh g−1 at anode level, compared to only about 250 cycles for the non-optimized full cell.

Hierarchical micro–nano hydrangea–like NiCo2O4/V2O3 free–standing anode for high–performance lithium–ion batteries

As one of binary transition metal oxides, NiCo2O4 (NCO) suffers from several problems like self–agglomeration and drastic volume change when used as an anode for lithium–ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, we propose a facile one–step hydrothermal method combined with heat treatment to prepare a hierarchical micro–nano hydrangea–like NiCo2O4/V2O3 composite array (denoted as NCO/VO) on a nickel foam substrate as a free–standing anode for LIBs. The V2O3 is introduced to form a composite structure with NCO, improving the electronic and ionic conductivity of the electrode. The synergistic effect of porosity, composite structure and micro–nano architecture offers the electrode excellent electrochemical performance. The specific capacity of the as–prepared electrode is 1155.6 mA h g−1 after 200 cycles under the current density of 100 mA g−1, with a retention ratio of 91.02 %. When the current density rises to 1000 mA g−1, it delivers a specific capacity of 750 mA h g−1, showing excellent rate performance. This work demonstrates that NCO/VO–NF is a promising candidate anode for next–generation LIBs.

Porous silicon covalently-grafted with chloro-styrenic carbons for fast Li+ diffusion and durable lithium-storage capability

Silicon-based anode materials have critical issues such as drastic volume changes, huge stress generation, and the thickening of solid‒electrolyte interphase layer. Thus, a new strategy for improving silicon interface is necessary for significantly enhanced Li+ ion transportation and structural stability during prolonged cycling, while simultaneously reducing severe side reactions. Herein, we prepared porous silicon particles covalently linked with styrene-based polymers (polystyrene (PS) and poly(4-chlorostyrene) (PCS)) via a facile non-atmospheric thermolytic process at a low-temperature (≤400 °C), in which the decomposed styrenic carbon fragments are covalently grafted on the silicon surface via Si–O–C and Si–C species. Notably, PCS-grafted porous silicon exhibited the significantly enhanced electrochemical performance (i.e., a high rate capability of 1270 mAh g−1 at 20 A g−1, 90.7% of initial capacity at 4 A g−1, and a reversible capacity of 1725 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles), because of the dual covalent linkages of Si–C and Si–O–C species in chloro-styrenic carbons that provide durable lithium storage capability and fast Li+ transportation. Specifically, the Si–C linkage enforced the formation of a durable interlayer that protects the Si active material from reactive electrolytes, and the polarized Si–O–C linkage facilitates the rapid transport of Li+ ions.

Potassium-enriched graphite for use as stable hybrid anodes in high-efficiency potassium batteries

Potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) have attracted significant attention due to their low cost and high energy density. Despite being a promising anode candidate for PIBs, graphite is still plagued by limited capacity and fast capacity degradation with low coulombic efficiency (CE). Herein, we propose a high-capacity and highly stable potassium-enriched graphite (KRG) anode which surpasses the limitation of parent graphite. The KRG is characteristic of possessing the potassium-graphite intercalation compounds as a potassiophilic host for uniform and high-efficiency plating/stripping of potassium metal. The robust mixed conducting network possessed by the KRG is beneficial for mitigating drastic volume change of the electrode and improving ion/electron transport. A specific capacity of ∼520 mAh/g was demonstrated for KRG anode as the optimized value to maximize the capacity storage while suppressing dendrites growth. With a stable solid-electrolyte interphase buildup, the KRG/Prussian blue full cell with a controlled anode/cathode capacity ratio of 1.1:1 can deliver a high capacity of 108 mAh/g with a CE of 99% after 180 cycles at 1C. Our results provide valuable insights into the rational design of graphitic anodes for high-energy-density PIBs.

Developing High‐Performance Metal Selenides for Sodium‐Ion Batteries

AbstractSodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) show tremendous potential for large‐scale energy storage systems due to the high abundance of sodium resources and potentially low cost. Among the discovered anode materials for SIBs, metal selenides with large theoretical capacities are considered as a promising candidate. Nevertheless, metal selenide‐based anodes are trapped by poor ionic/electronic conductivity, low initial Coulombic efficiency, and drastic volume changes during the (de)sodiation process. Herein, the differences in sodium‐storage mechanisms of different metal selenides are first analyzed. Subsequently, the specific challenges and corresponding modification strategies (such as nanostructure design, carbon modification, potential window regulation, electrolyte optimization, and constructing heterostructures) for metal selenides as SIB anodes are discussed in detail, and recent advances are also presented. Finally, the potential research directions of metal selenides in SIBs are comprehensively reviewed. It is believed that this review can provide constructive comments on the optimization and large‐scale application of high‐performance metal selenide‐based anode for SIBs.

Three-dimensional Ti3C2 MXene@silicon@nitrogen-doped carbon foam for high performance self-standing lithium-ion battery anodes

Silicon (Si) is one of the most promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of its high specific capacity. However, the poor cycling stability results from huge volume fluctuation and low intrinsic conductivity, which greatly hinders Si-based anodes development. Herein, we construct a three-dimensional structure comprised of Silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) anchored on a nitrogen -doped carbon (NC) foam with a covered MXene layer ([email protected]@NC foam), which acts as a self-standing Si-based anode for high performance LIBs. The design of NC foam as the conductive frame and MXene as the covering layer provides effective channels for electron transport/ion diffusion, and simultaneously allows the anode to adapt to the drastic Si volume change during lithiation/delithiation. The self-standing [email protected]@NC foam electrode delivers a high specific capacity (1658 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 0.1C) and a steady cycling capacity (857 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles at 0.5C). Moreover, a full-cell constructed using [email protected]@NC foam //NCM111 exhibits a high gravimetric energy density (433 Wh kg−1). This [email protected]@NC foam anode with good electrochemical performance renders as a promising candidate for broad LIBs applications.