Novel synthesis of SiOx/C composite as high-capacity lithium-ion battery anode from silica-carbon binary xerogel

Micro/nanostructured SiOx/C composite was firstly synthesized by carbothermal reduction of silica-carbon binary xerogel. The homogeneous dispersion feature of the two components in binary xerogel contributes to effectively carbothermally reduce the O/Si atomic ratio, enhancing the electrochemical activity of the SiOx component. The micron-sized SiOx/C spheres are composed of many near-spherical nanoparticles. The synthesized SiOx/C exhibits a stable and high reversible capacity of 830 mA·h·g−1 for 100 cycles, and excellent rate-capability. The homogeneous dispersion structure of phases, the micro/nanostructure and the high electrochemical activity of SiOx component combinedly contribute the excellent electrochemical performance.