Interpenetrating gel-enabled uniform integration of metal and carbon dual matrices with nanoporous silicon for high-performance lithium storage

Abstract

The uniform incorporation of metal and carbon with nanoporous silicon is highly desirable for improving overall Li-storage performance, yet remains a great challenge owing to the different physicochemical properties of Si, M, and C tri-components. Here, we develop an interpenetrating gel-enabled route for uniformly integrating metal and carbon with nanoporous silicon. Specifically, Co and C dual matrices are simultaneously and homogeneously incorporated with nanoporous silicon by magnesiothermically co-reducing an interpenetrating gel, containing SiO₂ gel and cyano-bridged In(III)–Co(III) coordination polymer gel networks. Thanks to the nanoporous structure and uniform M/C hybridization, the Si–Co–C ternary material manifests good cycling life (1837 mA h g⁻¹ after 100 cycles at 0.5 A g⁻¹) and superior rate performance (1318 mA h g⁻¹ at 10 A g⁻¹).