Improved lithium storage properties of Mg2Si anode material synthesized by hydrogen-driven chemical reaction

Nanocrystalline Mg2Si with high purity, homogeneous composition and uniform particle size was successfully synthesized by a facile hydrogen-driven chemical reaction at below 500 degrees C. The as-prepared Mg2Si exhibited an improved Li-ion storage ability as anode material for Li-ion batteries as it delivered an initial capacity of about 1095 mAh/g at 100 mA/g. The discharge capacity stayed at 406 mAh/g after 60 cycles, which is much better than that of the commercial Mg2Si anode and previously reported Mg2Si anode synthesized by mechanical alloying. The proof-of-concept synthesis technique presented in this work should be valuable for the preparation of other intermetallic compounds with difference of melting point between the constituent elements. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.