Ultrafast-Charging Silicon-Based Coral-Like Network Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries with High Energy and Power Densities

Fast charging rate and large energy storage are becoming key elements for the development of next-generation batteries, targeting high-performance electric vehicles. Developing electrodes with high volumetric and gravimetric capacity that could be operated at a high rate is the most challenging part of this process. Using silicon as the anode material, which exhibits the highest theoretical capacity as a lithium-ion battery anode, we report a binder-free electrode that interconnects carbon-sheathed porous silicon nanowires into a coral-like network and shows fast charging performance coupled to high energy and power densities when integrated into a full cell with a high areal capacity loading. The combination of interconnected nanowires, porous structure, and a highly conformal carbon coating in a single system strongly promotes the reaction kinetics of the electrode. This leads to fast-charging capability while maintaining the integrity of the electrode without structural collapse and, thus, stable cycli...