title: Graphene encapsulated and SiC reinforced silicon nanowires as an anode material for lithium ion batteries.
abstract: Anode materials play a key role in the performance, in particular the capacity and lifetime, of lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Silicon has been demonstrated to be a promising anode material due to its high specific capacity, but pulverization during cycling and formation of an unstable solid-electrolyte interphase limit its cycle life. Herein, we show that anodes consisting of an active silicon nanowire (Si NW), which is surrounded by a uniform graphene shell and comprises silicon carbide nanocrystals, are capable of serving over 500 cycles in half cells at a high lithium storage capacity of 1650 mA h g(-1). In the anodes, the graphene shell provides a highly-conductive path and prevents direct exposure of Si NWs to electrolytes while the SiC nanocrystals may act as a rigid backbone to retain the integrity of the Si NW in its great deformation process caused by repetitive charging-discharging reactions, resulting in a stable cyclability.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jian-Guo
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ying-San
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chui
authors.forename: Qi-Hui
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xianfeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wenjun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D017554:Carbon Compounds, Inorganic / Q000737:chemistry; D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D004566:Electrodes; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000737:chemistry; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D007477:Ions / Q000737:chemistry; D008094:Lithium / Q000737:chemistry*; D053770:Nanowires / Q000737:chemistry*; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry*; D017655:Silicon Compounds / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D017554:Carbon Compounds, Inorganic; D004573:Electrolytes; D007477:Ions; D017655:Silicon Compounds; D006108:Graphite; D008094:Lithium; C022088:silicon carbide; D012825:Silicon