Abstract: The invention accordingly provides a silicon-carbon composite which has at least a proportion of hard carbon and a proportion of silicon powder and is obtained by, under a noble gas atmosphere, a) treating the hard carbon component at least once with high energy in a mechanofusion mixer and b) subsequently adding the silicon powder component thereto and mixing the components, or adding the silicon powder component during step a) and continuing the mechanofusion treatment, and is characterized in that the composite has an average particle size of less than or equal to 12 ?m, a proportion of hard carbon of from 5 to 50% by weight and a proportion of silicon powder of from 5 to 50% by weight.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing nanostructured silicon-carbon composites, comprising the (A) introduction of at least one of components (a1) mono- and/or polyhydroxyaromatic compound, and (a2) an aldehyde, and (a3) a catalyst, into a reactor to obtain a composition in which the components react with one another in the presence of the catalyst at a reaction temperature T of 75 to 200° C., and at a pressure of 80 to 2400 kPa, and over a period to of 0.