Silicon
fascinates with incredibly high theoretical energy density
as an anode material and considered as a primary candidate to replace
well-established graphite. However, further commercialization is hindered
by the abnormal volume changes of Si in every single cycle. Silicon
embedded in a buffer matrix using the melt-spinning process is a promising
approach; however, its metastable nature significantly reduces the
microstructure homogeneity, the quality of the composition, and, therefore,
the electrochemical performances. Herein, we developed a new approach
to design a high-performance Si-alloy with improved microstructure
uniformity and electrochemical properties. Namely, annealing at a
certain temperature of the melt-spun amorphous alloy ribbon allowed
us to evenly distribute Si nanocrystallites in the microstructure
with control of average grain size. As a result, the Si-alloy electrode
delivers an initial discharge capacity of 900 mAh g–1 and exhibits a high coulombic efficiency of >99% from the second
cycle with a capacity retention of ∼98% after 100 cycles. This
study provides powerful insights and evidence for the successful application
of the proposed approach for commercial purposes.
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