Preparation of SiO nanowire arrays as anode material with enhanced lithium storage performance.

SiO nanowire arrays have been prepared by a template-assisted sol gel method and used as a negative electrode material for lithium ion batteries. Amorphous SiO was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results of scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy confirmed that the SiO nanowire had a diameter of about 100 nm and a length of about 30 μm. Cyclic voltammetry and constant current charge and discharge tests showed the prepared SiO nanowire arrays were electrochemically active at a potential range of 0.05-3.0 V. At a current density of 200 mA g, the first discharge specific capacity was as high as 2252.6 mA h g with a coulombic efficiency of 60.7%. Even after about 400 cycles, it still maintained 97.5% of the initial specific capacity. Moreover, a high specific capacity of 315 mA h g was exhibited when the current density was increased to 2500 mA g. SiO nanowire array electrodes with high reversible capacity and good cycle performance provide potential anode materials for future lithium-ion batteries.