Carbon anode materials from polysiloxanes for lithium ion batteries

Three kinds of silicon-containing disordered carbons have been prepared by pyrolysis of polysiloxanes with different amounts of phenyl side groups. X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electrochemical capacity measurements were performed to study their behaviors. Graphite crystallites, micropores, and silicon species affect their electrochemical performances. All of them present high reversible capacities, > 372 mAh/g. Since the graphite crystallites are very small, they contribute very little to reversible capacity. The number of micropores produced by gas emission during the heat-treatment process decides whether they exhibit reversible capacity. Si mainly exists in the form C-Si-O and influences the irreversible capacity. There is no evident capacity fading in the first ten cycles, indicating promising properties for these disordered carbons.