Enhanced cycling performance of Si/C composite prepared by spray-drying as anode for Li-ion batteries

•The composites were successfully synthesized by spray-drying followed by pyrolysis.•The structure of the composite is spherical or sphere-like.•The material exhibits high specific capacity and excellent cycling performance.

The anode material Si/C composite was prepared by spray-drying coupled with pyrolysis method. The as-obtained Si/C composite was investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and electrochemical measurements. The results indicate that the Si/C composite is composed of nano-Si, flake graphite and amorphous phenolic resin-pyrolyzed carbon and shows fluffy carbon-coated structure. The composite exhibits significantly enhanced electrochemical performance and cycling stability. The charge capacity in the first cycle at a current density of 100.0 mA g− 1 is as high as 624.8 mAh g− 1, and still maintains a high charge capacity of 502.9 mAh g− 1 after 50 cycles. Moreover, it has a low impedance, which indicates that it could be used as a promising anode material for Li-ion batteries.

Graphical abstractSi/C composite, based on nano-silicon, flake graphite and phenolic resin-pyrolyzed amorphous carbon, was prepared by a spray-drying followed by pyrolysis.Fig. 1 SEM (a), (b), TEM (c), HRTEM (d) images of Si/C composite and cycling performance of Si/Graphite and Si/C composite at a current density of 100 mA g− 1.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide