Synthesis and structure of composite fibers based on silicon and carbon obtained by electrospinning

Composite polymer fibers with a composition of Si-C-O obtained by electrospinning of precursors solution containing polycarbosilane or phenol formaldehyde resins with an admix of organic-silicon compounds were synthesized in order to find efficient new electrode materials for lithium ion batteries. The composition and structure of pyrolized composite fibers were studied by means of X-ray dispersive analysis and X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and by AFM and SEM. It was shown that the composite fibers (with a diameter of 0.5-1.5 mu m) were nanostructured materials with carbon and silicon-oxy-carbide areas about 2-5 nm in size. A model of the nanostructure of a skeleton for composite fibers synthesized is proposed.