Synergistic Integration of Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Oxide, Silica, and Polyaniline for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes

Abstract

High-performance anode materials are essential for improving lithium-ion battery (LiB) technology. In this work, we synthesized and studied a ternary composite of NGO, SiO2, and PANI as a new anode material. The PANI was improved by varying monomer and acid concentrations. The best-performing type (0.3 M aniline, 3 M H2SO4) demonstrated good electrical conductivity and surface area. Electrochemical doping was used to create NGO, which has nitrogen defects that improve Li+ adsorption and conductivity. The composite electrodes (N0: N-GO-SiO2; N1: high N-GO:PANI ratio; N2: low N-GO:PANI ratio) have been investigated in both half-cell and full-cell configuration. The N1 composite displayed outstanding electrochemical performance, giving a high initial discharge capacity of 1125 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C and maintaining 200 mAh g-1 at 10 C. Cycling stability was excellent, with just 8.5% capacity loss after 100 cycles. In contrast, the N2 composite had PANI-induced mechanical instability, and the N0 sample (without PANI) had low-rate capability due to inadequate conductivity. A full-cell battery (N1 || LiFePO4) demonstrated practical viability, exceeding traditional graphite anodes in capacity and cycle efficiency. The combination of N-GO (conductivity), SiO2 (high capacity), and PANI (redox activity/flexibility) shows promise for next-generation LiB anodes. Ternary N-GO/SiO2/PANI composites developed as high-performance Li-ion battery anodesOptimized N1 composite shows 1125 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C and 91.5% capacity retention after 100 cyclesFull-cell (N1 || LiFePO4) outperforms graphite anodes in capacity and cycling efficiency