Novel hard carbon/graphite composites synthesized by a facile in situ anchoring method as high-performance anodes for lithium-ion batteries

In this report, novel hard carbon/graphite composites are prepared by a simple in situ particle anchoring method, followed by carbonization. The effects of loading content of hard carbon on the structure and electrochemical performance of the composites are investigated. The SEM results show that the hard carbon particles are anchored randomly on the surface of graphite. The electrochemical measurements demonstrate that an appropriate loading content of hard carbon can remarkably increase the specific reversible capacity of graphite, which is mainly contributed by lithiation in hard carbon, whereas excessive loading leads to the formation of a thick particle shell onto the surface of graphite, which deteriorates the initial coulombic efficiency drastically. Kinetic tests further show that excessive loading of hard carbon is unfavorable for lithium-ion diffusion probably due to the increased interface distance and decreased electroconductivity. The composite loaded with 10 wt% hard carbon exhibits balanced lithium storage performance with high reversible capacity of 366 mA h g(−1), high initial coulombic efficiency (∼91.3%), and superior rate capability and cycling performance. Thus, in this study, we suggest a facile and effective strategy to fabricate a promising graphite anode material for high-performance lithium-ion batteries.