Porous Si coated with S-doped carbon as anode material for lithium ion batteries

A novel porous Si/S-doped carbon composite was prepared by a magnesiothermic reaction of mesoporous SiO2, subsequently coating with a sulfur-containing polymer-poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene), and a post-carbonization process. The as-prepared Si composite was homogeneously coated with disordered S-doped carbon with 2.6 wt.% S in the composite and retained a high surface area of 58.8 m(2) g(-1). The Si/S-doped carbon composite exhibited superior electrochemical performance and long cycle life as an anode material in lithium ion cells, showing a stable reversible capacity of 450 mAh g(-1) even at a high current rate of 6,000 mA g(-1).