Reinforcement effect of carbon nanofibers on silicon–carbon anode materials: a review

This review examines the reinforcement effect of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) in enhancing the electrochemical performance of silicon–carbon anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. CNFs-reinforced silicon–carbon electrode materials exhibit the advantages of constructing conductive networks, buffering silicon volume expansion, facilitating ion transport and stabilizing electrode/electrolyte interface interactions. Various silicon–carbon nanofiber composites are generalized and listed as Si/CNF, Si–CNF@C, Si–o-CNFs, hierarchical carbon–Si/CNF, C–Si–CNF, and Si@porous carbon/porous CF. The key structural designs include sandwich structures to confine silicon expansion via carbon encapsulation, interwoven architectures to enhance particle dispersion through electrostatic self-assembly, honeycomb frameworks to optimize lithium-ion diffusion via ordered pores, and wrapping or core–shell structures to reserve expansion space and improve mechanical stability. Various preparation methods for forming silicon–carbon nanofiber composites are summarized, including electrostatic self-assembly, electrospinning, and electrophoretic deposition. Several challenges in active interfacial compatibility, new electrode materials and structures, comprehensive modeling and theoretical simulation calculations are proposed. The corresponding possible solution methods are suggested, which include surface functionalization, multiscale simulations, and machine learning-guided optimization. Perspective is also provided for the new design and further development of CNFs-reinforced silicon–carbon anode materials for electrochemical energy storage applications.