One-step synthesis of ZnO/N-doped carbon/Cu composites for high-performance lithium ion batteries anodes

Abstract

Developing the advanced electrode materials with large capacity, low cost, high-rate capability and long cycle stability for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), is still a challenge and hot-topic today. Herein, ZnO/N-doped carbon/Cu composites (ZnO/NC/Cu) with different ZnO loading amounts are first synthesized by a simple pseudo-solid-state method only using the copper phthalocyanine as carbon, nitrogen and copper sources. In a typical massive-like structure, ZnO and Cu nanoparticles distribute randomly and are well surrounded by amorphous carbon. Benefiting from the advantages of intrinsic architecture, as LIBs anodes, ZnO/NC/Cu (1:1) exhibits a large specific capacity of 602mAhg−1 at a current density of 100mAg−1, keeps a high up to 96% capacity retention even after 100 cycles vs the 2nd cycle, and presents high rate capability. It could be inferred that appropriated amount of ZnO, the modification of copper nanoparticles and N-doped carbon framework are mainly responsible for those encouraging electrochemical performances of ZnO/NC/Cu composites.