Layered Silicon/Titanium Composite and Its Electrochemical Performance for Lithium-Ion Batteries

A stable interface is beneficial for improving the lithium storage performance of the silicon anode of a lithium-ion battery. Herein, we design a layered silicon/titanium composite, a silicon layer with a surface doped with titanium, by the exfoliation of industrial Si–Ca alloy particles with TiCl4 gas at 300 °C (relatively low temperature). Due to its stable surface, the black and high tap density layered Si/Ti composite electrode has an outstanding cycling stability and rate performance. The ball-milled layered Si/Ti composite electrode provides 1019.9 mAh·g–1 capacity at 1 A·g–1 and 86.6% capacity retention after 400 cycles and 783.8 mAh·g–1 capacity at 6 A·g–1. The synthesized process is simple, collectible, low temperature, and friendly to the environment without acids and bases, making it a good prospect for LIBs.