Performance optimization with the addition of carbon nanotubes:First case study of Mo4.8Si3C0.6/MoSi2/SiC nanocomposites for lithium-ion batteries

Silicon-based anodes in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) suffer from significant volume expansion, resulting in poor cycle stability, which seriously hinders their large-scale application in the field of high-performance energy storage. To this end, we design a single-source-precursor derived multicomponent Mo 4.8 Si 3 C 0.6 /MoSi 2 /SiC nanocomposite as a novel anode for LIBs. The composite is prepared through an innovative process involving the introduction of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by the polymer-derived ceramics (PDC) method. Compared with the traditional physical mixing method, the ceramics derived from single-source-precursors achieve uniform dispersion of CNTs. Meanwhile, Mo 4.8 Si 3 C 0.6 is grown in situ within a SiC matrix. This strategy not only significantly increases the proportion of Mo 4.8 Si 3 C 0.6 within the material, but also ingeniously constructs a SiC framework structure. The designed composite material effectively mitigates the problem of rapid capacity loss due to volume expansion during battery cycling. After this modification, the battery capacity retention rate increases from 45.4% to 80.3%, demonstrating the ability to withstand 3300 ultra-long cycles. This work provides a novel perspective for the design of anode materials for LIBs.