Stable silicon/3D porous N-doped graphene composite for lithium-ion battery anodes with self-assembly

We fabricate a novel 3D N-doped graphene/silicon composite for lithium-ion battery anodes, with Si nanoparticles uniformly dispersed and thoroughly embedded in the N-doped graphene matrix. The favorable structure of the composite results in a BET surface area and an average mesopore diameter of 189.2 m2 g−1 and 3.82 nm, respectively. The composite delivers reversible capacities as high as 1132 mA h g−1 after 100 cycles under a current of 5 A g−1 and 1017 mA h g−1 after 200 cycles at 1 A g−1, and exhibits an improved rate capability. The present approach shows promise for the preparation of other high-performance anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.