An Amorphous/Crystalline Incorporated Si/SiOx Anode Material Derived from Biomass Corn Leaves for Lithium-Ion Batteries

The fabrication of silicon (Si) anode materials derived from high silica-containing plants enables effective utilization of subsidiary agricultural products. However, the electrochemical performances of synthesized Si materials still require improvement and thus need further structural design and morphology modifications, which inevitably increase preparation time and economic cost. Here, the conversion of corn leaves into Si anode materials is reported via a simple aluminothermic reduction reaction without other modifications. The obtained Si material inherits the structural characteristics of the natural corn leaf template and has many inherent advantages, such as high porosity, amorphous/crystalline mixture structure, and high-valence SiOx residuals, which significantly enhance the material's structural stability and electrode adhesive strength, resulting in superior electrochemical performances. Rate capability tests show that the material delivers a high capacity of 1200 mA h g(-1) at 8 A g(-1) current density. After 300 cycles at 0.5 A g(-1), the material maintains a high specific capacity of 2100 mA h g(-1), with nearly 100% capacity retention during long-term cycling. This study provides an economical route for the industrial production of Si anode materials for Lithium-Ion batteries.