Precision integration of uniform molecular‐level carbon into porous silica framework for synergistic electrochemical activation in high‐performance lithium–ion batteries

Abstract The development of advanced anode materials for lithium‐ion batteries that can provide high specific capacity and stable cycle performance is of paramount importance. This study presents a novel approach for synthesizing molecular‐level homogeneous carbon integration to porous SiO 2 nanoparticles (SiO 2 @C NPs) tailored to enhance their electrochemical activities for lithium‐ion battery anode. By varying the ratio of the precursors for sol–gel reaction of (phenyltrimethoxysilane (PTMS) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS)), the carbon content and porosity within SiO 2 @C NPs is precisely controlled. With a 4:6 PTMS and TEOS ratio, the SiO 2 @C NPs exhibit a highly mesoporous structure with thin carbon and the partially reduced SiO x phases, which balances ion and charge transfer for electrochemical activation of SiO 2 @C NPs resulting remarkable capacity and cycle performance. This study offers a novel strategy for preparing affordable high capacity SiO 2 ‐based advanced anode materials with enhanced electrochemical performances. image