Improved electrochemical performance of silicon-carbon anodes by different conductive agents

Silica/silicon/polyacrylonitrile (SiO2/Si/PAN) composites were prepared as active anode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) using a rational template method and liquid-phase mixing. The redox graphene (rGO), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and their compounds are used as conductive agents. The results show that the addition of MWCNTs can improve the rate performance, while rGO can reduce the charge transfer resistance. Surprisingly, the binary conductive agents prepared by rGO and MWCNTs at the mass ration of 1:1 combined the advantages of both with a first discharge capacity of 3009 mA h g(-1) at 0.1 C and a coulombic efficiency of 96%. Here, we demonstrate that SiO2/Si/PAN prepared with a binary conductive agents of equal mass ratio of rGO and MWCNTs can greatly improve the capacity, cycling performance, rate performance and conductivity of LIBs.