▎ 摘　　要

NOVELTY - Production of anode or cathode layer involves dispersing silicon particles, graphene sheets, catalytic metal precursor, and optional blowing agent in liquid to form a graphene/silicon dispersion, dispensing and depositing dispersion onto a surface of a supporting substrate to form a wet layer of graphene/silicon mixture and partially or completely removing the liquid medium from the wet layer to form a dried layer of graphene/silicon material, and exposing the resultant dried layer to high-temperature environment of 100-2000 degrees C to thermally convert the catalytic metal precursor to a coating or nanoparticles of a catalyst metal deposited on surfaces of silicon particles and/or surfaces of graphene sheets, to induce volatile gas molecules from graphene sheets or to activate blowing agent for producing graphene foam, and enable a catalyst metal-catalyzed growth of several silicon nanowires emanating from silicon particles in pores of graphene foam to form anode layer. USE - Production of anode or cathode layer used in lithium battery (claimed). ADVANTAGE - The method provides anode or cathode layer having improved thermal conductivity, electroconductivity, mechanical strength and elasticity. The graphene foam is cost-effective, highly conductive and mechanically robust. The lithium battery provided with the anode or cathode layer has high capacity and excellent long-term cycle stability and energy storage capability. DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Production of anode or cathode layer involves dispersing silicon particles, graphene sheets, catalytic metal precursor, and optional blowing agent in liquid to form a graphene/silicon dispersion, dispensing and depositing graphene/silicon dispersion onto a surface of a supporting substrate to form a wet layer of graphene/silicon mixture and partially or completely removing the liquid medium from the wet layer of graphene/silicon mixture to form a dried layer of graphene/silicon mixture material, and exposing the resultant dried layer to high-temperature environment of 100-2000 degrees C for a period of time sufficient to thermally convert the catalytic metal precursor to a coating or nanoparticles of a catalyst metal deposited on surfaces of silicon particles and/or surfaces of graphene sheets, to induce volatile gas molecules from graphene sheets or to activate blowing agent for producing graphene foam, and enable a catalyst metal-catalyzed growth of several silicon nanowires emanating from silicon particles in pores of graphene foam concurrently or sequentially to form anode layer. The silicon nanowires have a diameter less than 100 nm and a length-to-diameter aspect ratio of at least 5. The content of silicon nanowires is 0.5-95 wt.% based on the total weight of mixture of graphene foam and silicon nanowires. The anode layer comprises a solid graphene foam comprising several pores, pore walls and silicon nanowires residing in the pores. The silicon particles have a diameter of 0.2-20 mu m, and contain pure silicon compound containing at least 99.9 wt.% silicon element or 70-99.9 wt.% silicon alloy or its mixture. INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for the following: (1) anode, which comprises a graphene foam structure containing several pores, pore walls and silicon nanowires residing in the pores; and (2) lithium battery.