Fe-Mn-Si alloys prepared by ball milling were investigated as negative electrodes for Li-ion batteries. X-ray diffraction and room temperature Fe-57 Mossbauer measurements were used to characterize alloy structure, which revealed the formation of ternary (Fe, Mn,) Si-11(19) solid solutions. During cycling in Li cells, the formation of crystalline Li15Si4 was effectively suppressed by inactive transition metal silicide phases, resulting in good cycling performance. In addition, Fe was found to be superior to Mn in avoiding excessive side reactions with electrolyte during cycling. (C) The Author(s) 2019. Published by ECS.