Abstract
Lithium-ion batteries are supposed to be a key method to make a more efficient use of energy. In the past decade, nanostructured electrode materials have been extensively studied and have presented the opportunity to achieve superior performance for the next-generation batteries which require higher energy and power densities and longer cycle life. In this article, we reviewed recent research activities on selective crystallization of inorganic materials into nanostructured electrodes for lithium-ion batteries and discuss how selective crystallization can improve the electrode performance of materials; for example, selective exposure of surfaces normal to the ionic diffusion paths can greatly enhance the ion conductivity of insertion-type materials; crystallization of alloying-type materials into nanowire arrays has proven to be a good solution to the electrode pulverization problem; and constructing conversion-type materials into hollow structures is an effective approach to buffer the volume variation during cycling. The major goal of this review is to demonstrate the importance of crystallization in energy storage applications.
Highlights
Materials crystallized with unique sizes and structures are expected to find various novel applications [1,2,3,4,5]
The discovery of novel materials, processes, and phenomena provides fresh opportunities for the development of innovative systems and devices, which is likely to have a profound impact in areas such as energy, electronics, medicine, and biotechnology [6,7,8,9,10,11,12]
The performance of lithium-ion battery (LIB) depends essentially on the thermodynamics and kinetics of the electrochemical reactions involved in the electrode materials
Summary
Materials crystallized with unique sizes and structures are expected to find various novel applications [1,2,3,4,5]. The as-formed three-dimensional (3D) multilayered nanostructure can be directly used as an anode material without adding any polymer binder and carbon black This composite showed high reversible capacity (714 mAh g-1) and excellent cycling performance at a high current density of 5 A g-1 and demonstrated that a highly functional nanocomposite can be fabricated by employing conventional top-down manufacturing methods and selfassembly principles. A 3D composite has been constructed by selectively crystallizing Fe3O4 nanoparticles encapsulated within carbon shells onto reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets (Figure 13a, b) [73], which exhibited enhanced anode performances in LIBs with a specific capacity of 842 mAh g-1 and superior recycle stability after 100 cycles; these can be attributed to the unique 3D structure of the composite; the 2D layered structure of RGO combined with the close structure of carbon shells provided a rigid and highly conductive matrix for Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Nanoscale morphologies have the potential to achieve long cycling lifetimes and good reversibility as stress management and formation of a stable passivation layer during cycling can be achieved
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