Incorporating Co Nanoparticles into SiOx Anodes for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries

Silicon suboxide (SiO_x) is recognized as a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of its higher specific capacity in comparison to graphite and better capacity retention in comparison to pure Si. However, the immense volume expansion and formation of inert lithium oxide (Li₂O) during repeated lithiation and delithiation largely impede its practical application. In this study, we propose a combined metal activation and N-doped carbon layer coating strategy to overcome these obstacles. Extensive experimental characterization and theoretical calculation results disclose that the incorporation of Co nanoparticles into SiO_x can not only boost the charge transfer kinetics but also activate the reversible conversion of Li₂O to provide additional capacity. By further incorporating an N-doped carbon layer on the SiO_x surface, the volume expansion of SiO_x is greatly suppressed. As a consequence, the regulated SiO_x anode displays a high reversible specific capacity of 627.8 mA h g^–1 after 100 cycles at 0.1 A g^–1. By an increase in the current density to 1 A g^–1, a reversible specific capacity of 495.4 mA h g^–1 is retained after 500 cycles. This work provides an effective avenue to simultaneously activate the inert Li₂O and inhibit the volume change for the SiO_x anode, which is beneficial for further development of high-performance LIBs.