Precision Integration of Uniform Molecular-Level Carbon into Porous
Silica Framework for Synergistic Electrochemical Activation in
High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries
Abstract
The development of advanced anode materials for lithium-ion batteries
that can provide high specific capacity and stable cycle performance is
of paramount importance. This study presents a novel approach for
synthesizing molecular-level homogeneous carbon integration to porous
SiO2 nanoparticles (SiO2@C NPs) tailored
to enhance their electrochemical activities for lithium-ion battery
anode. By varying the ratio of the precursors for sol-gel reaction of
(phenyltrimethoxysilane (PTMS) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS)), the carbon
content and porosity within SiO2@C NPs is precisely
controlled. With a 4:6 PTMS and TEOS ratio, the SiO2@C
NPs exhibit a highly mesoporous structure with thin carbon and the
partially reduced SiOx phases, which balances ion and
charge transfer for electrochemical activation of SiO2@C
NPs resulting remarkable capacity and cycle performance. This study
offers a novel strategy for preparing affordable high capacity
SiO2-based advanced anode materials with enhanced
electrochemical performances.