Zn-Mediated Interfacial MOF Growth Constructs Hollow Double-Shell SiO_x/C for Ultra-Stable Lithium Storage

Abstract

Silicon oxide (SiO_x) is a high-capacity anode candidate for lithium-ion batteries, yet its widespread adoption is hindered by poor conductivity and interfacial instability. Traditional carbon-coating methods often suffer from uneven coverage and weak adhesion, leading to rapid capacity fading. Herein, we propose a novel Zn-anchored interfacial growth strategy to fabricate a hollow double-shell SiO_x/C composite (HSiO_x/C-1@NC). By utilizing surface-grafted Zn species as uniform nucleation sites, a conformal ZIF-8 shell is grown directly on SiO_x/C and subsequently converted—through a single carbonization step—into a porous, nitrogen-doped carbon layer with strong interfacial adhesion and tailored porosity. The resulting HSiO_x/C-1@NC anode exhibits exceptional long-cycle stability, delivering a high reversible capacity of 811.8 mAh·g^–1 at 1 A·g^–1 after 1500 cycles, which ranks among the best performances reported for SiO_x-based materials. The unique hollow dual-shell architecture not only accommodates volume expansion and shortens Li⁺ diffusion paths, but also establishes a robust and continuous conductive network that ensures efficient electron transfer and interfacial stability. This work provides a scalable and versatile interfacial engineering approach to designing high-performance SiO_x anodes, with potential applicability to other oxide-based electrode systems.

Keywords

Silicon oxide / Hollow double-shell architecture / Interfacial MOF growth / Zn-anchored nucleation / Carbon bridges / Nitrogen-doped carbon / Long-cycle stability / Lithium storage

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2026 SIOC, CAS, Shanghai, & WILEY-VCH GmbH