Issue 25, 2020

Silicon oxycarbide-antimony nanocomposites for high-performance Li-ion battery anodes

Abstract

Silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) has recently regained attention in the field of Li-ion batteries, owing to its effectiveness as a host matrix for nanoscale anode materials alloying with Li. The SiOC matrix, itself providing a high Li-ion storage capacity of 600 mA h g−1, assists in buffering volumetric changes upon lithiation and largely suppresses the formation of an unstable solid-electrolyte interface. Herein, we present the synthesis of homogeneously embedded Sb nanoparticles in a SiOC matrix with the size of 5–40 nm via the pyrolysis of a preceramic polymer. The latter is obtained through the Pt-catalyzed gelation reaction of Sb 2-ethylhexanoate and a poly(methylhydrosiloxane)/divinylbenzene mixture. The complete miscibility of these precursors was achieved by the functionalization of poly(methylhydrosiloxane) with apolar divinyl benzene side-chains. We show that anodes composed of SiOC/Sb exhibit a high rate capability, delivering charge storage capacity in the range of 703–549 mA h g−1 at a current density of 74.4–2232 mA g−1. The impact of Sb on the Si–O–C bonding and on free carbon content of SiOC matrix, along with its concomitant influence on Li-ion storage capacity of SiOC was assessed by Raman and 29Si and 7Li solid-state NMR spectroscopies.

Graphical abstract: Silicon oxycarbide-antimony nanocomposites for high-performance Li-ion battery anodes

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
13 apr 2020
Accepted
10 iyn 2020
First published
10 iyn 2020
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Nanoscale, 2020,12, 13540-13547

Silicon oxycarbide-antimony nanocomposites for high-performance Li-ion battery anodes

R. J.-C. Dubey, P. V. W. Sasikumar, N. Cerboni, M. Aebli, F. Krumeich, G. Blugan, K. V. Kravchyk, T. Graule and M. V. Kovalenko, Nanoscale, 2020, 12, 13540 DOI: 10.1039/D0NR02930K

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