Abstract: The application of silicon in lithium-ion batteries has been impaired by the low conductivity and large volume expansion. Herein, we develop a facile “surface amination” strategy to successfully encapsulate Si nanoparticles within the ZIF-8-derived N-doped carbon matrix. The amino group-containing organosilica serves as the linking agent between Si nanoparticles and Zn²⁺ and facilitates the coating of the ZIF-8 layer on the Si nanoparticles. This in turn induces the construction of N-doped carbon matrix encapsulated Si nanoparticles (NH₂-Si@C) during the subsequent carbonization. With buffered volume change and increased conductivity, the rationally designed NH₂-Si@C demonstrates a high reversible capacity (1494 mAh g^-1 at 1 A g^-1) and satisfactory rate performance (1062 mAh g^-1 at 5 A g^-1).

Key words: Si nanoparticles, Metal-organic frameworks, Surface modification, N-doped carbon, Lithium-ion batteries