Influence of carbon sources on silicon oxides for lithium-ion batteries: a review

Abstract

Silicon oxides have emerged as promising anode materials for next-generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their low working potentials, high theoretical specific capacities, and abundant resources. However, the large volume expansion and the inherent low conductivity limit their practical applications. It has been widely recognized that the development of silicon oxides/carbon composites is an effective strategy for improving the electrochemical lithium storage performance of silicon oxides. Notably, carbon materials play a dual role by providing a conductive substrate and ensuring electrode integrity during the lithiation/delithiation process. Different carbon nanostructures derived from diverse carbon sources lead to distinct morphologies, architectures, and properties, resulting in a wide range of composite structures that influence the lithium storage properties of the silicon oxides/carbon composites to varying degrees. In this review, we classify silicon oxides/carbon composites according to the variation of carbon sources, and systematically review the most recent and representative developments in this area. The review ends with a discussion of future directions and perspectives, with a view to the rational design and scalable construction of advanced silicon oxides/carbon composites and electrode systems for practical LIBs.