Natural abundance and well-explored synthesis of silica
are among
the main motivations for the impressive evolution of silicon-based
electrodes occurring over the last few years. In this work, an effective
strategy has been introduced for the realization of silica-based anodes
for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) starting from zeolitic imidazolate
framework-67 (ZIF67)/mesopores silica (mSiO2), which has
been employed as a precursor. This approach leads to the realization
of a hybrid electrode formed by the combination of a carbon nanotube
(CNT) grown on the nitrogen-doped graphene-like structure, ultrafine
cobalt-based nanoparticles, and silica (SiO2/Co3O4/NGC/CNT). From an electrochemical point of view, the
performance of this engineered hybrid silica-based electrode (EHSiE),
formed by water and a cellulose-based binder, is evaluated in both
LP30 and ether-based electrolyte environments, the latter being particularly
attractive in the emerging field of sulfur-based batteries. The EHSiE
electrode displays a remarkable stability for 1000 cycles with the
high reversible capacity of ∼410 mA h g–1 at 5 A g–1 versus Li/Li+ in the LP30
electrolyte. Moreover, this electrode discloses a good electrochemical
behavior when coupled with high mass loading LiFePO4 cathode
to design a full LIB. More impressively, a systemic investigation
reveals a remarkable compatibility of EHSiE with ether-based electrolytes,
providing a specific discharge capacity of 300 mA h g–1 for 500 cycles at 1 A g–1. These results suggest
that the engineered electrode can be successfully applied in the field
of high-energy and environmentally sustainable lithium-based batteries.