Ultra-stable silicon anode by three-dimensional nanoarchitecture design

A method of making an electrode comprising:

• growing N-doped graphene on an internal surface of porous nickel (Ni) to obtain a substrate having a three-dimensional bi-continuous N-doped graphene on nickel such that the N-doped graphene covers a pore surface of the porous nickel;
• etching the nickel in the substrate to remove the nickel and form a porous N-doped graphene core;
• depositing a silicon (Si) layer into the porous N-doped graphene core;
• and
• depositing a layer of inorganic-organic hybrid silicate on the silicon layer to obtain an electrode having the silicon layer sandwiched between the porous N-doped graphene core and the layer of inorganic-organic hybrid silicate.

An electrical battery comprising:

• a cathode,
• an anode spaced apart from the cathode, the anode comprising:
• an electrically conductive porous graphene core;
• a silicon layer disposed on an internal surface of the electrically conductive porous graphene core so as to be in contact with said internal surface of the electrically conductive porous graphene core, and
• an ion-conductive hybrid silicate layer disposed on the silicon layer;
• and
• an electrolyte configured to transfer electric charge between the cathode and the anode.