Straightforward Approach toward SiO2 Nanospheres and Their Superior Lithium Storage Performance

SiO2 nanospheres were prepared according to a straightforward approach and evaluated as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries. The morphologies display that the obtained amorphous SiO2 powder has good uniform nanospheres with an average diameter of 400 nm. The SiO2 anode shows an initial charge capacity of 622.1 mAh g(-1) and it still remains at 876.7 mAh g(-1) even at a rate of 1 C over 500 cycles, showing a certain degree of increase. It can be considered that the superior performances are attributed to the partial generated Si, Li2O, and Li4SiO4 matrixes acting as a shielding layer, hence improving the lithium storage performance. In short, the discussed results suggest that SiO2 nanosphere is a promising anode material to improve the electrochemical performances for lithium-ion batteries.