Facile synthesis of Si/Ge/graphite@C composite with improved tap density and electrochemical performance

Abstract

Nanoengineering is one of the most effective methods to promote the lithium storage performance of silicon material, which suffers from huge volume changes and poor reaction kinetics during cycling. However, the commercial application of nanostructured silicon is hindered by its high manufacturing cost and low tap density. Herein, a Si/Ge/graphite@C composite was successfully synthesized by ball-milling with subsequent calcination. By introducing Ge, graphite and an amorphous carbon coating, both tap density and electrochemical performance are improved significantly. Benefiting from the synergetic effects of the above components, the Si/Ge/graphite@C composite delivers a reversibility capacity of 474 mA h g⁻¹ at 0.2 A g⁻¹ and stable capacity retention.