High performance flexible lithium-ion battery anodes: Carbon nanotubes bridging bamboo-shaped carbon-coated manganese oxide nanowires via carbon welding

Abstract

Free-standing electrodes will significantly improve the specific capabilities of LIBs and reduce manufacturing costs; importantly, the introduction of the carbon protective layer can solve the problem of capacity attenuation. Herein, a novel closely crosslinked three-dimensional carbon nanotubes (CNTs) network bridge bamboo-shaped carbon-coated MnO (CCMC) flexible film anode is designed. For this design, the carbon layer can provide high electrical conductivity while buffering the volume changes of the MnO nanoparticles during repeated cycling. Meanwhile, the CNTs are also highly conductive and bridged between bamboo-shaped carbon-coated MnO (MC) to support the entire structure, effectively improving the tensile strength and structural stability of CCMC. In addition, the CCMC flexible film electrode as the anode material of flexible LIBs, does not use conductive agent, binder and collector, shows excellent electrochemical properties, including a high-rate capability of 909 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 and 406 mAh g−1 at 5.0 A g−1, and a long cycling stability (411 mAh g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 after 1000 cycles).