Silicon as the potential anode material for lithium-ion batteries suffers from huge volume change (up to 400%) during charging/discharging processes. Poor electrical conductivity of silicon also hinders its long-term cycling performance. Herein, we report a two-step ball milling method to prepare nanostructured P-doped Si/graphite composite. Both P-doped Si and coated graphite improved the conductivity by providing significant transport channels for lithium ions and electrons. The graphite skin is able to depress the volume expansion of Si by forming a stable SEI film. The as-prepared composite anode having 50% P-doped Si and 50% graphite exhibits outstanding cyclability with a specific capacity of 883.4 mAh/g after 200 cycles at the current density of 200 mA/g. The cost-effective materials and scalable preparation method make it feasible for large-scale application of the P-doped Si/graphite composite as anode for Li-ion batteries.
Keywords: atomic force microscopy; ball milling; in situ; lithium-ion battery; silicon anode.