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A self-sacrifice template strategy to synthesize silicon@carbon with interior void space for boosting lithium storage performance

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Abstract

A sufficient internal void space is highly desirable for relieving the volume expansion of silicon anode materials upon repeated insertion/extraction. Herein, Si/graphene@carbon (Si/G@C) composites with internal voids are prepared via ultrasonic spraying under vacuum, in which void spaces come into being by low-temperature calcinating acid citric (CA) as self-sacrifice template. Benefiting from the appropriate amount of void space in composites, Si/G@C-1gCA exhibits best electrochemical performances among the as-prepared composites, delivering a long-term cycle life (1048.8 mAhg−1 after 150 cycles at 2 Ag−1) and superior rate capability (660.6 mAhg−1 at 10 Ag−1). In contrast, excessive void spaces in composites would expectantly reduce the mechanical strength of carbon framework in composites, induce more electrolyte permeation into composites, lead to excessive decomposition of the electrolyte, and consequently result in unstable SEI-film evolution. The obtained investigation further reveals that appropriate amount of void spaces in Si/G@C composites is beneficial for the improved performances of anode materials in terms of stable SEI-film evolution and structural integrity.

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This work offers a eco-friendly self-sacrifice template strategy for fabricating high-performance Si/graphene@carbon anodes with appropriate internal void.

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Funding

This work was jointly supported by the Natural Science Foundations of China (No. 12174057, 22179020), Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province (Grant No. 2021L3011), and Fujian Natural Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars (Grant No. 2020J06042).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Physics and Energy, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350117, China

    Liwen Liu, Baoqi Wu, Jianming Tao, Yanmin Yang, Jiaxin Li, Yingbin Lin & Zhigao Huang

  2. Fujian Provincial Solar Energy Conversion and Energy Storage Engineering Technology Research Center, Fuzhou, 350117, China

    Liwen Liu, Yanmin Yang, Jiaxin Li, Yingbin Lin & Zhigao Huang

  3. Fujian Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced High-Field Superconducting Materials and Engineering, Fuzhou, 350117, China

    Liwen Liu, Yingbin Lin & Zhigao Huang

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  1. Liwen Liu
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Liu, L., Wu, B., Tao, J. et al. A self-sacrifice template strategy to synthesize silicon@carbon with interior void space for boosting lithium storage performance. Adv Compos Hybrid Mater 5, 3002–3011 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42114-022-00528-w

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