A SiOx-Based Anode in a High-Voltage Lithium-Ion Battery

A novel synthetic procedure for the preparation of a SiOx-based nanocomposite, involving gelification of resorcinol-formaldehyde and tetraethyl orthosilicate, is reported. The composite is characterized as an anode material in a lithium-ion battery. The micrometric, amorphous material has a characteristic nanostructured configuration and shows an electrochemical process involving both the alloying of LiâSi and the insertion of Li into the hard carbon matrix. The electrode reveals in a lithium half-cell a relatively low impedance and a reversible capacity ranging from 650 mAh gâ1, at the lower current, to 400 mAh gâ1 at high current regimes, with a cycle life extending to 200 cycles. The anode is combined with a high-voltage LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 spinel cathode in a 4.3 V lithium-ion battery delivering a capacity of about 115 mAh gâ1 and operating at the high rate of 5C. The suitable synthesis pathway, the low cost and the promising electrochemical behavior suggest the nanocomposite anode for application in high-performance lithium-ion battery