3D printed gyroid-structured SiOC/rGO ceramic matrix composite anode for highly-stable, high-performance Li-ion batteries

Silicon Oxycarbide (SiOC) ceramic has aroused ever-increasing attention as a highly-promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Yet, poor electrical conductivity, inferior initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) and low effective capacity severely hinder its practical applications. Herein, an innovative 3D-printed Gyroid-structured SiOC/rGO ceramic matrix composite anode was designed and fabricated by digital light processing technique. Gyroid lattice structure offers easily-accessible channels for accelerated ion transportation and abundant active sites for Li⁺ storage, while high-strength bonded silicon-carbon network within SiOC/rGO composite enable superior electron conductivity and structural stability. Gyroid-structured SiOC/rGO composite anode with 6% rGO content exhibits improved ICE (72.6% at 0.5 A⸱g⁻¹), high discharge capacity (580 mAh⸱g⁻¹ at 0.1 A⸱g⁻¹) and good cyclic stability (375 mAh⸱g⁻¹ for 1000 cycles at 0.5 A⸱g⁻¹). This work presents a very first step toward the 3D printing of structure-function integrated ceramic matrix composites, and provides a novel design paradigm of advanced anodes for highly-stable, high-performance LIBs.