Porous Si/Fe₂O₃ Dual Network Anode for Lithium-Ion Battery Application

Benefiting from ultra-high theoretical capacity, silicon (Si) is popular for use in energy storage fields as a Li-ion battery anode material because of its high-performance. However, a serious volume variation happens towards Si anodes in the lithiation/delithiation process, triggering the pulverization of Si and a fast decay in its capacity, which greatly limits its commercial application. In our study, a porous Si/Fe₂O₃ dual network anode was fabricated using the melt-spinning, ball-milling and dealloying method. The anode material shows good electrochemical performance, delivering a reversible capacity of 697.2 mAh g^-1 at 200 mA g^-1 after 100 cycles. The high Li storage property is ascribed to the rich mesoporous distribution of the dual network structure, which may adapt the volume variation of the material during the lithiation/delithiation process, shorten the Li-ion diffusion distance and improve the electron transport speed. This study offers a new idea for developing natural ferrosilicon ores into the porous Si-based materials and may prompt the development of natural ores in energy storage fields.