Boosting the Cell Performance of the SiO/Cu and SiO/PPy Anodes via In-Situ Reduction/Oxidation Coating Strategies.

Silicon monoxide (SiO) has attracted great attention due to its high theoretical specific capacity as an alternative material for conventional graphite anode, but its poor electrical conductivity and irreversible side reactions at the SiO/electrolyte interface seriously reduce its cycling stability. Here, to overcome the drawbacks, the dicharged SiO anode coated with Cu coating layer is elaborately designed by in-situ reduction method. Compared with the pristine SiO anode of lithium-ion battery (293 mAh g-1 at 0.5 A g-1 after 200 cycles), the obtained SiO/Cu composite presents superior cycling stability (1206 mAh g-1 at 0.5 A g-1 after 200 cycles). The tight combination of Cu particles and SiO significantly improves the conductivity of the composite, effectively inhibits the side-reaction between the active material and electrolyte. In addition, polypyrrole-coated SiO composites are further prepared by in-situ oxidation method, which delivers a high reversible specific capacity of 1311 mAh g-1 at 0.5 A g-1 after 200 cycles. The in-situ coating strategies in this work provide a new pathway for the development and practical application of high-performance silicon-based anode.