Silicon carbon nanocomposite (scn) material, fabrication process therefor, and use thereof in an anode electrode of a lithium ion battery

Abstract

In an embodiment, a process for producing a particulate silicon-carbon nanocomposite (SCN) material includes: providing primary graphite particles carrying nanoscale silicon particles on outer surfaces thereof; performing a high shear mixing procedure to produce primary graphite particles carrying a multiplicity of silicon nanostructures exhibiting plate-like morphologies; distributing a source of amorphous carbon over the primary graphite particles carrying such silicon nanostructures; and producing by way of a carbonization procedure an amorphous carbon layer at least partially surrounding the outer surface of each primary graphite particle, within which such silicon nanostructures are embedded. In an embodiment, each SCN particle can have or be formed as: a graphite particle core; silicon nanostructures distributed across at least portions of the outer surface of the graphite particle core, including silicon nanostructures exhibiting plate-like morphologies; and an amorphous carbon layer encapsulating the silicon nanostructures and at least portions of the graphite particle core.