Improved electrochemical performance of silicon monoxide anode materials prompted by macroporous carbon

Silicon monoxide (SiO) shows great potential for application as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries on account of its large capacity, low-cost, ample reserves and environmental amity, but serious capacity reduction and low lithium-ion transfer rate during charging and discharging restrict its development. In this work, a new strategy for the preparation of SiO and Porous carbon (Pc) composite by freeze-drying is proposed. A firm and conjoint SiO@Pc framework provides adequate transmission channels for lithium ions and sufficient number of pores to allow electrolyte penetration. The fabricated SiO@Pc composite anode material delivers high capacity of 1020 mAh g−1 with ~ 80% capacity retention rate after 200 cycles. It also exhibits excellent rate performance, providing 634 mAh g−1 capacity remaining at a current density of 1000 mA g−1. In addition, the optimized lithium-ion kinetics were further revealed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Our approach uses environmental amity and low-cost materials to provide new ideas for making high-performance energy devices through simple and doable preparation process.