Abstract
Well-designed nanostructures are very important for the electrochemical performance of lithium-ion electrode materials. In order to improve the electrochemical performance of ZnO-based anode materials, ZnO/Ni composite film, assembled by ordered hollow microsphere arrays, is designed and fabricated by means of magnetron sputtering technique using a colloidal crystal template composed of a monolayer of ordered polystyrene (PS) microspheres. The ordered hollow microsphere structure as well as the constituent Ni component of the ZnO/Ni film show major advantages of homogenizing electrode reactions, enhancing electrode reaction kinetics and accommodating volume change of active materials, so they can reduce electrode polarization and stabilize electrode structure. Consequently, the resulting ordered ZnO/Ni hollow microspheres arrays deliver an initial charge capacity of 685 mAh g−1, an initial coulombic efficiency of 68%, and a capacity retention rate of 69% after 100 cycles, all of which are higher than those of the pure ZnO film. These results show progress in developing more stable ZnO-based anode materials for lithium ion batteries.
Highlights
Transition-metal oxides are important materials for energy storage and conversion [1,2]
The research on ZnO-based anode materials is far less than other transition-metal oxides due to its much poorer actual electrochemical performance
Ordered ZnO/Ni hollow microsphere arrays were prepared by magnetron sputtering using a colloidal crystal template composed of a monolayer of ordered polystyrene (PS) microspheres
Summary
Transition-metal oxides are important materials for energy storage and conversion [1,2]. As a typical transition-metal oxide, is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries due to its high theoretical capacity of 988 mAh g−1 that is ~2.7 times that of traditional graphite [3,4]. The research on ZnO-based anode materials is far less than other transition-metal oxides due to its much poorer actual electrochemical performance. Designing nanostructures and forming composites are common ways to overcome this problem and they are often used in combination. Plenty of ZnO-based composites have been prepared by introducing metals and/or carbon [5,6,7], and they have been designed as various nanostructures, for example, porous [8,9], hollow [10], spherical [11], core/shell [12], and yolk/shell [13]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
