Constructing a hierarchical porous nanotube In2O3 anode for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

With the rapid development of electric vehicles and various electronic products, higher energy density lithium-ion batteries are imperative to develop. As one of the key materials for lithium-ion batteries, anode materials with high energy density have become a research focus. Especially, In2O3 has received increasing attention due to its mature preparation technology, environmental protection, low work voltage, and high theoretical lithium storage capacity. However, the poor conductivity and serious volume change during the lithium removal/insertion process of In2O3 anode limit its performance. Based on this, a hierarchical porous nanotube In2O3 (HPNT-In2O3) anode is successfully prepared, in which the continuous one-dimensional nanotube structure of HPNT-In2O3 and abundant porous channels can provide the large specific surface area, accelerate the charge transfer rate, and supply a large number of Li+ storage active site. Moreover, the HPNT-In2O3 anode can maintain a higher reversible specific capacity of 470 mAh g−1 after 180 cycles at 0.1C, improve the cycling performance and rate performance, compared with a granular In2O3 anode. This work provides a new avenue to develop high performance anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.