Facile fabrication of a nanoporous Si/Cu composite and its application as a high-performance anode in lithium-ion batteries

Nanoporous (NP) Si/Cu composites are fabricated by means of alloy refining followed by facile electroless dealloying in mild conditions. NP-Si/Cu composites with a three-dimensional porous network nanoarchitecture with different Cu contents are obtained by changing the feeding ratio of alloy precursors. Owing to the rich porosity and integration of conductive Cu into a nanoporous Si backbone, the NP-Si85Cu15 composite exhibits modified conductivity and reduced volumetric expansion/fracture during repeated charging-discharging processes in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), thus exhibiting much higher cycling reversibility than NP-Si92Cu8 and pure NP-Si. With the advantages of unique performance and easy preparation, NP-Si/Cu composite has potential for application as an advanced anode material for LIBs.