Lithium intercalation characteristics of B---C---N and C---B---Si---N carbon alloys

The possibility of the application of B---C---N and C---B---Si---N carbon alloys as anode materials for Li-ion batteries is discussed. The structure, composition, and the electrochemical behavior of these materials are presented. B---C---N samples prepared by the high-pressure self-combustion sintering technique are found to be a mixture of hexagonal BN and partly crystallized “BCN” compounds. Li-ions can be intercalated into the structure electrochemically with a maximum reversible capacity of about 120 mAh/g. For a C---B---Si---N carbon alloy, a reversible capacity of 500 mAh/g can be obtained at a low current rate, which is higher than that of the pure carbon pitch heated at the same temperature.