Silicon (Si) is widely viewed as a potential negative electrode material for the next generation of high energy density, rechargeable Li ion batteries. Although Si has a large specific capacity, it generally suffers from poor cycling stability because of mechanical degradation. The large volume expansion that occurs during lithiation is a key problem here. These large volume changes induce cracking and the loss of electrical contact with the current collector. To investigate strategies for engineering architectures that can better accommodate this expansion, we designed an electrochemical...