NiO/Carbon Aerogel Microspheres with Plum-Pudding Structure as Anode Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries.

Renqing Guo,Yiqi Cao,Xiaohua Huang,Yan Lin

doi:10.3390/ma13102363

Abstract

To enhance the electrochemical performance of nickel oxide as anode materials for lithium ion batteries, NiO/carbon aerogel microspheres with a plum-pudding structure were designed and prepared by a sol-gel technique followed by two calcination processes under different atmospheres. Carbon aerogel microspheres (pudding) can act as a buffering and conductive matrix to enhance the structural stability and conductivity of the embedded NiO particles (plums), which are quite advantageous to the cycling performance and rate capability. Consequently, NiO/carbon aerogel microspheres with a plum-pudding structure deliver an initial charge capacity of 808 mAh g−1 and a reversible capacity retention of 85% after 100 cycles. The enhancement in electrochemical performance relative to pure NiO microspheres suggests that the design of a plum-pudding structure is quite effective.

Highlights

Transition-metal oxides, especially iron group metal oxides, are developing as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries because of their high capacity, low cost, easy preparation, and environmentally friendly nature
The reaction involves large volume expansion and causes particle pulverization, which further leads to the separation of materials from the electrode, and the generation of new surfaces to produce more solid electrolyte interface (SEI)
The aerogel was constructed by interconnected microspheres, of them were image quite regular shape

Summary

Introduction

Transition-metal oxides, especially iron group metal oxides, are developing as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries because of their high capacity, low cost, easy preparation, and environmentally friendly nature. They deliver high capacities ranging from 700 to 1000 mAh g−1 based on the mechanism of reversible conversion reaction [1,2]. Fabricating nanostructured composites is the most frequent method to enhance the electrochemical performance of energy conversion and storage materials [3,4,5,6,7,8]. The nanostructures can increase the reaction interface and shorten the charge transport distance, reducing electrode polarization

Methods

Results

Conclusion