High performance lithium battery anode materials by coating SiO2 nanowire arrays with PEO

Abstract

SiO₂ has attracted much attention as an anode electrode material for lithium ion batteries. However, its lower conductivity and electrochemical kinetics hinder its further development. In this paper, a simple method was developed to prepare a composite of soft PEO film coated amorphous SiO₂ nanowire arrays. The presence of the PEO film improves the electrical conductivity of the electrode material, prevents direct contact of the active material with the electrolyte, and also plays a better role in lessening the volume expansion of the electrode during charging and discharging. The electrochemical results further confirmed that the cycle had a high reversible capacity of 1225 mA h g⁻¹ after cycling for about 200 cycles at a current density of 200 mA g⁻¹ compared to the amorphous pure SiO₂ nanowire arrays, and the Coulombic efficiency was maintained at 96%. In addition, excellent rate performance was demonstrated to achieve a capacity of 360 mA h g⁻¹ at a high current density of 2500 mA g⁻¹. It provides the corresponding guidance for ameliorating the energy storage performance of low-conductivity oxide-based electrode materials.