Methods for fabricating electrodes comprising silicon-based host material and battery cells utilizing the same

A method for fabricating a battery cell, the method comprising:

• coating a current collector with a slurry to form a coated current collector, wherein the slurry includes:
• a dry fraction comprising:
• silicon particles, wherein the silicon particles include Li2Si and single-phase silicon,
• one or more polymeric binders comprising polyacrylonitrile, polyvinylidiene fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene, fluorinated ethylene propylene, and/or perfluoroalkoxy alkanes, and
• carbon fibers, wherein the carbon fibers have an average diameter of about 100 nm to about 200 nm and an average length of about 1 um to about 10 um;
• and
• one or more solvents;
• pyrolyzing the coated current collector to produce a negative electrode comprising a layer of silicon-based host material, wherein pyrolyzing the coated current collector comprises heating at a first temperature of up to about 400° C. and subsequently heating at a second temperature between about 450° C. and about 750° C.;
• and
• subsequently assembling the battery cell by disposing the negative electrode and a positive electrode in an electrolyte.