Cultured Diatoms Suitable for the Advanced Anode of Lithium Ion Batteries

Diatoms are unicellular organisms, and their cell walls (diatom frustules) composed of hydrated amorphous silica have the characteristic of a delicate porous structure. Herein, we explore the applicability of utilizing industrial-scale artificially cultured diatoms (mainly three genera of Chaetoceros, Navicula, and Nitzschia) for the advanced anode of lithium ion batteries (LIBs) by preserving the original structure and making full use of the biomass in the cell as silicon and carbon sources. After facile physicochemical treatment processes, the obtained diatom-based carbon-accreted silica maintains a hierarchical porous structure of the original biomass and possesses an amorphous carbonaceous component homogeneously. The composite anode exhibits superior battery performance including high initial Coulomb efficiency, excellent rate capability, and outstanding reversible capacity. This study provides an opportunity for renewable natural resources to develop advanced active materials for LIBs of the future.