Title: Pyrolytic carbon-coated silicon/Carbon Nanotube composites: promising application for Li-ion batteries

Authors: Y. Zhang, Z.G. Zhao, X.G. Zhang, H-L. Zhang, F. Li, C. Liu, H-M. Cheng

Addresses: Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China. ' Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China. ' Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China. ' Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China. ' Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China. ' Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China. ' Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, PR China

Abstract: Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) were grown on silicon nanoparticles by Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) method and then the as-prepared Si-CNT hybrid was coated by pyrolytic carbon through pyrolysis of sucrose, as anode material for Li-ion batteries in this study. After 20 cycles, the pyrolytic carbon coated silicon/CNT composite achieved a discharge capacity of 727 mAh/g. However, for the simple mixture of silicon and CNTs coated by a layer of pyrolytic carbon through pyrolysis of sucrose, the discharge capacity after 20 cycles was only 363 mAh/g. The CVD growth of CNTs on silicon suppresses the structure destruction of pyrolytic carbon-coated silicon/CNT composite during cycling, resulting in the improvement of cyclability.

Keywords: carbon nanotubes; CNTs; chemical vapour deposition; CVD; Li-ion batteries; silicon nanoparticles; pyrolytic carbon coatings; nanocomposites; manomanufacturing; nanotechnology; sucrose pyrolysis.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNM.2008.017834

International Journal of Nanomanufacturing, 2008 Vol.2 No.1/2, pp.4 - 15

Published online: 19 Apr 2008 *

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