Scalable Synthesis of Si/SiOx@C Nanocomposite from Naturally Silicon-rich Crop as Anode for Lithium-ion Batteries

doi:10.15541/jim20260182

Abstract

Abstract: Biomass-derived silicon resources offer a sustainable pathway for high-performance lithium-ion battery (LIB) anodes but are often limited by complex synthesis routes and unstable structures. Herein, we report a scalable strategy that couples molten-salt-assisted aluminothermic reduction with ball milling to convert rice husks into a Si/SiO_x@C nanocomposite. The process enables the formation of uniformly dispersed ~50 nm Si/SiO_x domains embedded within a conductive carbon matrix (BH-12), which effectively mitigates the large volume variation of Si and accelerates electron/ion transport. Benefiting from the synergistic structure, BH-12 achieves a high reversible capacity of 437.1 mAh·g^-1 at 0.1 A·g^-1 and retains 369.8 mAh·g^-1 after 160 cycles, markedly outperforming pristine carbonized husks and unreduced samples. Furthermore, coupling with LiFePO₄ (LFP), the BH-12||LFP full cell exhibits superior rate capability and enhanced Li⁺ diffusion kinetics (10^-10.5-10^-9 cm²·s^-1), attributed to reduced particle size and strengthened interfacial stability. This work demonstrates an environmentally friendly and cost-effective approach for mass production of high-performance Si-based anodes, providing practical insights for next-generation LIBs.

Key words: rice husk-derived silicon, lithium-ion batteries, ball milling engineering, aluminothermic reduction, Si/SiO_x@C nanocomposite

CLC Number:

TM912

WU Jie, LI Yan, GU Yuchen, ZHANG Hao, SONG Yingying, YASSER A Attia, MA Ruguang. Scalable Synthesis of Si/SiO_x@C Nanocomposite from Naturally Silicon-rich Crop as Anode for Lithium-ion Batteries[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, DOI: 10.15541/jim20260182.

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Scalable Synthesis of Si/SiO_x@C Nanocomposite from Naturally Silicon-rich Crop as Anode for Lithium-ion Batteries

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