Next-generation High Performance Research Articles

Ferroelectric Properties and Applications of Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Perovskites

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (e.g. CH3NH3PbI3) have attracted tremendous attention due to their promise for achieving next-generation cost-effective and high performance optoelectronic devices. These hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites possess excellent optical and electronic properties, including strong light absorption, high carrier abilities, optimized charge diffusion lengths, and reduced charge recombination etc., leading to their widespread applications in advanced solar energy technologies (e.g. high efficiency perovskite solar cells). However, there is still a lack of investigations regarding fundamental properties such as ferroelectricity in these perovskites. As conventional ferroelectric ceramics are prepared at high temperature and have no mechanically flexibility, low-temperature proceed and flexible perovskite ferroelectrics have become promising candidates and should be exploited for future flexible ferroelectric applications. Here, ferroelectric properties in hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites and several state-of-the-art perovskite ferroelectrics are reviewed. Novel ferroelectric applications of hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites are discussed as well, providing guideline for realizing future high performance and flexible ferroelectric devices.

Sulfurization-induced growth of single-crystalline high-mobility β-In2S3 films on InP

Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition was used to grow single-crystalline tetragonal β-In2S3 films on InP to afford covalently bonded In2S3/InP heterostructures, with the crystal structure of these films identified by high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy analyses, and the corresponding bandgap energies determined by photoluminescence measurements at room (300 K) and low temperatures (40 K). RT-PL measurements reveal the three peaks spectral emission at 464.3, 574.7, and 648.5 nm associated with luminescence from band-edge and two above conduction band-edge, respectively, although the LT-PL (40K) measurements of β-In2S3 film found two dominant peaks. Moreover, the above films exhibited n-type conductivity, with background electron concentration = 4.9 × 1015 cm–3, electron mobility = 1810.9 cm2 V–1 s–1, and resistivity = 0.704 Ω cm. Thus, single-crystalline β-In2S3 films deposited on InP are promising constituents of high-performance next-generation electronic, optoelectronic, and photovoltaic devices.

Colloidal Supercapattery: Redox Ions in Electrode and Electrolyte.

Redox chemistry is the cornerstone of various electrochemical energy conversion and storage systems, associated with ion diffusion process. To actualize both high energy and power density in energy storage devices, both multiple electron transfer reaction and fast ion diffusion occurred in one electrode material are prerequisite. The existence forms of redox ions can lead to different electrochemical thermodynamic and kinetic properties. Here, we introduce novel colloid system, which includes multiple varying ion forms, multi-interaction and abundant redox active sites. Unlike redox cations in solution and crystal materials, colloid system has specific reactivity-structure relationship. In the colloidal ionic electrode, the occurrence of multiple-electron redox reactions and fast ion diffusion leaded to ultrahigh specific capacitance and fast charge rate. The colloidal ionic supercapattery coupled with redox electrolyte provides a new potential technique for the comprehensive use of redox ions including cations and anions in electrode and electrolyte and a guiding design for the development of next-generation high performance energy storage devices.

Practical Li-Ion Battery Assembly with One-Dimensional Active Materials.

Research activities on the development of one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures and their successful implementation in the fabrication of high-performance practical Li-ion batteries (LIBs) are described. Although numerous 1D-structured materials have been explored for use in LIBs as anodes, cathodes, and separator-cum-electrolytes, only a very limited number of studies report the practical assembly of LIBs using these components. As a result, the salient features of using 1D materials in charge-storage devices have not been realized from an application perspective. Exceptional battery performance is reported when all-1D-based electro-active materials are used to fabricate LIBs. Using all-1D nanostructures not only provides high power capability, energy density, and durability, it also opens up new avenues for developing high-performance next-generation Li-ion power packs.

Strategies for improving the lithium-storage performance of 2D nanomaterials

Abstract 2D nanomaterials, including graphene, transition metal oxide (TMO) nanosheets, transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) nanosheets, etc., have offered an appealing and unprecedented opportunity for the development of high-performance electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Although significant progress has been made on 2D nanomaterials for LIB applications in the recent years, some major challenges still exist for the direct use of these sheet-like nanomaterials, such as their serious self-agglomerating tendency during electrode fabrication and low conductivity as well as the large volume changes over repeated charging–discharging cycles for most TMOs/TMDs, which have resulted in large irreversible capacity, low initial Coulombic efficiency and fast capacity fading. To address these issues, considerable progress has been made in the exploitation of 2D nanosheets for enhanced lithium storage. In this review, we intend to summarize the recent progress on the strategies for enhancing the lithium-storage performance of 2D nanomaterials, including hybridization with conductive materials, surface/edge functionalization and structural optimization. These strategies for manipulating the structures and properties of 2D nanomaterials are expected to meet the grand challenges for advanced nanomaterials in clean energy applications and thus provide access to exciting materials for achieving high-performance next-generation energy-storage devices.

Low-temperature (<200 oC) solid-phase crystallization of high substitutional Sn concentration (∼10%) GeSn on insulator enhanced by weak laser irradiation

Low temperature (<200 oC) crystallization of GeSn (substitutional Sn concentration: >8%) on insulating substrates is essential to realize next generation flexible electronics. To achieve this, a growth method of high quality GeSn films on insulating substrates by combination of laser irradiation and subsequent thermal annealing is developed. Here, the laser fluence is chosen as weak, which is below the critical fluence for crystallization of GeSn. It is clarified that for samples irradiated with weak laser fluence, complete crystallization of GeSn films is achieved by subsequent thermal annealing at ∼170 oC without incubation time. In addition, the quality of GeSn films obtained by this method is higher compared with conventional growth techniques such as melting growth by pulsed laser annealing or solid-phase crystallization (SPC) without pre-laser irradiation. Substitutional Sn concentrations in the grown layers estimated by Raman spectroscopy measurements are 8-10%, which far exceed thermal equilibrium solid-solubility of Sn in Ge (∼2%). These phenomena are explained by generation of a limited number of nuclei by weak laser irradiation and lateral SPC by subsequent thermal annealing. This method will facilitate realization of next-generation high performance devices on flexible insulating substrates.

Development of next generation tempered and ODS reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steels for fusion energy applications

Reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steels are currently the most technologically mature option for the structural material of proposed fusion energy reactors. Advanced next-generation higher performance steels offer the opportunity for improvements in fusion reactor operational lifetime and reliability, superior neutron radiation damage resistance, higher thermodynamic efficiency, and reduced construction costs. The two main strategies for developing improved steels for fusion energy applications are based on (1) an evolutionary pathway using computational thermodynamics modelling and modified thermomechanical treatments (TMT) to produce higher performance reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steels and (2) a higher risk, potentially higher payoff approach based on powder metallurgy techniques to produce very high strength oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels capable of operation to very high temperatures and with potentially very high resistance to fusion neutron-induced property degradation. The current development status of these next-generation high performance steels is summarized, and research and development challenges for the successful development of these materials are outlined. Material properties including temperature-dependent uniaxial yield strengths, tensile elongations, high-temperature thermal creep, Charpy impact ductile to brittle transient temperature (DBTT) and fracture toughness behaviour, and neutron irradiation-induced low-temperature hardening and embrittlement and intermediate-temperature volumetric void swelling (including effects associated with fusion-relevant helium and hydrogen generation) are described for research heats of the new steels.

Suspended black phosphorus nanosheet gas sensors

The studies on enhancing the sensitivities of chemical sensors based on two-dimensional (2D) materials have been focused primarily on surface modifications including defect engineering, chemical doping, and incorporation of metal nanoparticles. Exfoliated black phosphorus (BP), which is one of the 2D materials, has attracted considerable attention because it offers higher sensitivity than other 2D materials (e.g., graphene and MoS2). In this study, for the first time, we attempt to increase the performance of BP chemical sensors to their theoretical limit by floating BP flakes on top of electrode posts in order to provide full (both sides) adsorption sites and avoid interface scattering effects. Our suspended BP gas sensors fabricated via dry transfer showed higher sensing performances than the conventional supported BP gas sensors (gas response was increased by approximately 23% at 200ppm). In addition, faster response and recovery with high reproducibility were observed in suspended BP chemicals sensors than in the supported ones. Our work reveals the full potential of pristine BP-based chemical sensors and paves the way for the next-generation high performance 2D chemical sensors.

Metal–Organic Framework-Functionalized Alumina Membranes for Vacuum Membrane Distillation

Nature-mimetic hydrophobic membranes with high wetting resistance have been designed for seawater desalination via vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) in this study. This is achieved through molecular engineering of metal–organic framework (MOF)-functionalized alumina surfaces. A two-step synthetic strategy was invented to design the hydrophobic membranes: (1) to intergrow MOF crystals on the alumina tube substrate and (2) to introduce perfluoro molecules onto the MOF functionalized membrane surface. With the first step, the surface morphology, especially the hierarchical roughness, can be controlled by tuning the MOF crystal structure. After the second step, the perfluoro molecules function as an ultrathin layer of hydrophobic floss, which lowers the surface energy. Therefore, the resultant membranes do not only possess the intrinsic advantages of alumina supports such as high stability and high water permeability, but also have a hydrophobic surface formed by MOF functionalization. The membrane prepared under an optimum condition achieved a good VMD flux of 32.3 L/m2-h at 60 °C. This study may open up a totally new approach for design of next-generation high performance membrane distillation membranes for seawater desalination.

Meeting the Electrical, Optical, and Thermal Design Challenges of Photonic-Packaging

Integrated photonics is a promising route toward high-performance next-generation ICT and sensing devices. Although fiber-packaging is perhaps the most widely discussed obstacle to low-cost photonic devices, electronic-photonic integration and thermal-stabilization are also significant design considerations that need to be properly managed. Using a state-of-the-art Si-photonic optical-network-unit as a worked example, we illustrate some key challenges and solutions in the field of photonic-packaging. Specifically, we describe a novel solder-reflow bonding process for the face-to-face three-dimensional (3-D) integration of photonic and electronic integrated circuits, discuss current and future multichannel fiber-alignment techniques, and investigate the coefficient-of-performance of the thermo-electric cooler that stabilizes the temperature of the photonic components. The challenge of photonic-packaging is to simultaneously satisfy these electrical, optical, and thermal design requirements on small-footprint devices, while establishing a route to scalable commercial implementation.

Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Electrochemical Properties of Rock-Salt Type (Mg,Ni,Co)O2 As Cathode Materials for Mg Secondary Battery

INTRODUCTION Recently, research has been conducted on high-performance next-generation batteries to replace secondary batteries in practical use because of the limitations of their capacity and safety. One of those currently studied is a secondary battery that uses divalent Mg2+ as a movable ion. The Mg secondary battery has been expected to be a realization of high energy density storage battery. However, the problem to be solved is slow diffusion of Mg2+ within the crystal structure since strong electrostatic interaction between Mg2+ and O2- ions. Thus, the practical application of magnesium secondary battery has not yet. Ideally, layered rock-salt type (MgNiyM1-y)O2 was expected to be synthesized as a cathode electrode material because layered oxides LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 and LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 have already been put to practical use as the positive electrode material of lithium ion battery. Since high electrochemical characteristics of Ni, Co and Mn showed, we have attempted to synthesized the new rock-salt MgxNiyCo1-yO2, to analyze the crystal structure and to evaluate electrochemical characteristics. EXPERIMENTAL The samples were synthesized by the reverse co-precipitation1). After mixing the metal nitrate solution at a predetermined ratio, was added dropwise to aqueous sodium hydrogen carbonate solution, the precipitate was filtered, washed, dried, and calcined. The samples were characterized by XRD and ICP measurements. Particle morphology, particle size and lattice image were observed by SEM and TEM. These samples were performed by synchrotron X-ray diffraction (BL02B2, SPring-8). The data was refined by the Rietveld technique using Rietan-FP program. By maximum entropy method (MEM) using the Dysnomia program, the electron densities were analyzed using synchrotron X-ray diffraction. We also examined the valence state of Ni and Co by XAFS measurement (BL01B1, SPring-8). The electrochemical measurements were subjected to a charge-discharge cycle test (3.5 - 0 V vs. Mg/Mg2 +, 0.345 - -1.955V vs. Ag/Ag +, 4.5 - 1.5V vs. Li/Li+, the negative electrode: AZ31 or metal Li, reference electrode: Ag, electrolytic solution: 1.0 M-Mg(N (SO2CF3)2)2/triglyme or 1M-LiPF6/EC: DMC (1: 2), separator: glass fiber or polypropylene) at 60 ºC or 25 ºC by using the HS cell and 3-electrode flat cell. Some of the samples were ground in a planetary ball-mill, we tried to improve the cathode performance by reducing the grain size. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION From powder X-ray diffractions, obtained samples were found that a product can be attributed to a single phase of the rock-salt structure with space group of Fm-3m. The ICP analysis indicated that Mg composition was increased by increasing the feed Mg amount. As a result of refinement for the site occupancy with Rietveld analysis, it was suggested that the cation defect slightly exists. The TEM images corresponding to the (111) and (200) plane were observed. Moreover, STEM-EDS indicated that Ni and Co are uniformly dissolved in a local region of the product (Fig.1). According to the above, we have succeeded in the synthesis of new rock-salt type MgxNiyCo1-yO2 of the new composition. From the discharge-charge test results, the discharge characteristics vary depending upon the Mg composition and Ni/Co ratio. The XANES spectra showed that the electrode after the initial discharge was somewhat lower valence than the original powder sample. Therefore, it suggested the insertion of Mg into the MgxNiyCo1-yO2 by the electrochemical discharge. It was performed by help of ALCA-SPRING and shows thanks to the members concerned. References (1) S. Yagi et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., 52, 025501 (2013). Figure 1

Dielectric and piezoelectric properties of high curie temperature 0.63Bi(Mg1/2Ti1/2)O3–0.37PbTiO3 single crystals with morphotropic phase boundary composition

Abstract Novel perovskite ferroelectric 0.63Bi(Mg 1/2 Ti 1/2 )O 3 –0.37PbTiO 3 (0.63BMT–0.37PT) single crystals with a composition around the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) were successfully grown by a self-flux method. They presented Curie temperature ( T c ) about 460 °C and a rhombohedral to tetragonal phase transition temperature (Tr-t) 249 °C. The piezoelectric constant d 33 for (001) oriented 0.63BMT–0.37PT single crystals reached 320pC/N, which was higher than that (208pC/N) in the tetragonal phase 0.38BMT–0.62PT crystals. The large piezoelectric constant d 33 and high T c make BMT–PT single crystals promising candidates used for the next generation of high performance and high temperature actuators and transducers.

In Situ Radiographic Investigation of (De)Lithiation Mechanisms in a Tin-Electrode Lithium-Ion Battery.

The lithiation and delithiation mechanisms of multiple-Sn particles in a customized flat radiography cell were investigated by in situ synchrotron radiography. For the first time, four (de)lithiation phenomena in a Sn-electrode battery system are highlighted: 1) the (de)lithiation behavior varies between different Sn particles, 2) the time required to lithiate individual Sn particles is markedly different from the time needed to discharge the complete battery, 3) electrochemical deactivation of originally electrochemically active particles is reported, and 4) a change of electrochemical behavior of individual particles during cycling is found and explained by dynamic changes of (de)lithiation pathways amongst particles within the electrode. These unexpected findings fundamentaly expand the understanding of the underlying (de)lithiation mechanisms inside commercial lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and would open new design principles for high-performance next-generation LIBs.

Twist-Shaped CuO Nanowires as Anode Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries

Twist-shaped CuO nanowires were synthesized by two-step method consisting of solution reaction and then heat treatment. The as-synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). When evaluated as anode materials for lithium ion batteries, twist-shaped CuO nanowires showed a high initial discharge capacity of 983 mAh g−1and maintained a reversible capacity of 320 mAh g−1over 50 cycles at the current density of 100 mA g−1. Thus, 1D twist-shaped CuO nanowires provide a new insight into the development of anode materials for next-generation high performance lithium ion batteries.

3D Stacked Cache Data Management for Energy Minimization of 3D Chip Multiprocessor

In this model a runtime cache data mapping is discussed for 3-D stacked L2 caches to minimize the overall energy of 3-D chip multiprocessors (CMPs). The suggested method considers both temperature distribution and memory traffic of 3-D CMPs. Experimental result shows energy reduction achieving up to 22.88% compared to an existing solution which considers only the temperature distribution. New tendencies envisage 3D Multi-Processor System-On-Chip (MPSoC) design as a promising solution to keep increasing the performance of the next-generation high performance computing (HPC) systems. However, as the power density of HPC systems increases with the arrival of 3D MPSoCs with energy reduction achieving up to 19.55% by supplying electrical power to the computing equipment and constantly removing the generated heat is rapidly becoming the dominant cost in any HPC facility.

Rare earth and transitional metal colloidal supercapacitors

The search of electrode materials with high electrochemical activity is one of key solutions to actualize both high energy density and high power density in a supercapacitor. Recently, we have developed one novel kind of rare earth and transitional metal colloidal supercapacitors, which can deliver higher specific capacitance than electrical double-layer capacitors (EDLC) and traditional pseudocapacitors. The electrode materials in colloidal supercapacitors arin colloidal supercapacitors aree in-situ formed electroactive colloids, which were transformed from commercial rare earth and transitional metal salts in alkaline electrolyte by chemical and electrochemical assisted coprecipitation. In these colloidal supercapacitors, multiple-electron Faradaic redox reactions can be utilized, which can deliver ultrahigh specific capacitance often larger than one-electron capacitance. Multiple-valence metal cations used in our designed colloidal supercapacitors mainly include Ce3+, Yb3+, Er3+, Fe3+, Mn2+, Fe2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Sn2+ and Sn4+. The colloidal supercapacitors can be served as the promising next-generation high performance supercapacitors.

Fabrication and Characterization of Hybrid Solar Cells Based on Perovskite Materials

Perovskite solar cells have gathered great attention in recent years as promising high performance next-generation solar cells with long-term stability at low cost. The aim of this work is to prepare and characterize the perovskite materials, hole transferring materials and electron transferring materials to be used in the fabrication of solar cells. Inverted perovskite solar cells have been fabricated with the following design: fluorine tin oxide (FTO)/electron injection layer/active layer/hole injection layer/metallic upper electrode. MoO3 and CuI as hole injection materials matched the energy levels with FTO. Different electron injection materials have been investigated to improve the collection of electrons generated namely graphene, graphene oxide and ZnO. ZnO nanoparticles was prepared by sol gel method and used as electron injection layer. Aging the ZnO sol for one month yields a better cell performance due to the formation of nanoridges structure. The nanoridges structure enhanced the surface area of the electron injection layer. Different electrodes were deposited on the cell namely Al, Ag and Au. The achievable inverted perovskite solar cell efficiency, fill factor, open circuit voltage and short circuit current density were found to be 2.4%, 0.67, 1.0 V and 0.037 mA/cm2, respectively for the following device structure: FTO/ZnO/CH3NH2PbI3/CuI/Au. Figure 1. Schematic diagram of the inverted perovskite solar cells Figure 1

Surface-modified Li[Li0.2Ni0.17Co0.07Mn0.56]O2 nanoparticles with MgF2 as cathode for Li-ion battery

Li-rich layered materials hold lots of promise as cathode for next-generation high performance Li-ion batteries. In this contribution, surface-modified layer-structured Li[Li0.2Ni0.17Co0.07Mn0.56]O2 (Li-rich) nanoparticles are employed as cathode for Li storage and transport studies. The results demonstrate that 1wt.% MgF2-modified Li-rich electrode exhibits the best cycling capability, with capacity retention ratio of 86% after 50 cycles, much higher than that of pristine one (only 66%). In the meantime, the 1wt.% MgF2 surface modified Li-rich electrode shows superior rate performance and thermal abuse treatments as well. Subsequent investigation indicates that the coated MgF2 layer can suppress the undesirable growth of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) film and enhance the structure stability upon cycling. This coating technique provides the potentially rewarding avenue towards the development of high capacity Li-ion cathodes.

Facile Synthesis Procedure and Lithium Storage Characteristics of a Porous NiSi2/Si/Carbon Composite Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Regarding the current need for high capacity anode materials in order to further increase the specific energy (Wh kg-1) and energy density (Wh L-1) of LIBs, silicon is one of the most promising candidates. Among different alloying elements, such as tin or aluminum, silicon displays the highest theoretical capacity of 4,200 mAh g-1 (practical: ca. 3,500 mAh g-1) and a relatively low lithiation potential of 0.2 V vs. Li/Li+, compared to the conventional carbonaceous anode materials, displaying a relatively low specific capacity (372 mAh g-1), which cannot meet the growing demand for the next-generation high performance lithium-ion batteries. However, there are some critical drawbacks arising with the use of silicon, which are mainly related to the severe volume changes (up to 300%) during the lithium insertion/extraction process and the low intrinsic electronic conductivity.[1,2] The large stress and strain during lithiation/de-lithiation may lead to particle cracking and even particle pulverization. The volume changes of alloying materials in general also lead to a contact loss between the active material particles and the conductive carbon and/or current collector as well as to an ongoing formation of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI; dynamic process of breaking off and reforming) and an increase in the overall resistance, thus resulting in an enhanced capacity fading during charge/discharge cycling.[3,4] Several strategies have been developed in order to reduce the detrimental effects of the large volume changes of silicon and to suppress the side reactions with the electrolyte and thus to improve the long-term cycling stability.[3] One main approach is to reduce the silicon particle size to the nanometer range, while several material structures, including e.g. nanowires[5], nanospheres[6] and nanotubes[7], have been proposed. In addition, another strategy is to design porous structures, e.g. macroporous (pore width ˃ 50 nm) or mesoporous materials (pore width of 2 to 50 nm), that can offer sufficient local void space to absorb the volume expansion of silicon and thus to enhance the cycling stability. A further main strategy to improve the electrochemical performance of silicon is the formation of multiphase composite materials, i.e. by introducing a second or more components, which display no or only less volume changes as well as preferentially a high electronic conductivity. The idea of this approach is to use the host matrix to buffer the volume changes of silicon and thus to maintain the electrode integrity and electronic network. Examples are silicon-carbon composite materials, e.g. silicon particles dispersed in a carbon composite matrix[8], and silicon-based alloys or composite heterostructures, such as Si/SiOx/carbon composites[9], or intermetallic compounds like Si/TiSi2[10] or NiSi alloys[11]. In this work, we report a facile synthesis route for a porous core-shell NiSi2/Si/carbon composite material and its electrochemical characterization as anode material for lithium-ion batteries. The as-prepared composite material consists of NiSi2, silicon and carbon phases, in which the NiSi2 phase is embedded in a silicon matrix having homogeneously distributed pores, while the surface of this composite is coated with a carbon layer (Figure 1). The electrochemical characterization shows that the porous and core-shell structure of the composite anode material can effectively absorb and buffer the immense volume changes of silicon during the lithiation/de-lithiation process. The obtained NiSi2/Si/carbon composite anode material displays an outstanding electrochemical performance, which gives a stable capacity of 1,272 mAh g-1for 200 cycles at a charge/discharge rate of 1C. The simple and high-yield synthesis process, using cheap and abundant raw materials, makes it more competitive for industrial applications.

Engineered Si Sandwich Electrode: Si Nanoparticles/Graphite Sheet Hybrid on Ni Foam for Next-Generation High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries

Si-based electrodes for lithium ion batteries typically exhibit high specific capacity but poor cycling performance. A possible strategy to improve the cycling performance is to design novel electrode nanostructure. Here we report a design and fabrication of Ni/Si-Nanoparticles/Graphite Clothing hybrid electrodes with sandwich structure. An efficient dip-coating of Si-NPs combined with carbon deposition was adopted to synthesize the unique architecture, where the Si-NPs are sandwiched between the Ni matrix and the graphite clothing. This material architecture offers many critical features that are desirable for high-performance Si-based electrodes, including efficient ion diffusion, high conductivity, and structure durability, thus ensuring the electrode with outstanding electrochemical performance (reversible capacity of 1800 mA h g-1 at 2 A g-1 after 500 cycles). In addition, the hybrid anode does not require any polymeric binder and conductive additives, and holds great potential for application in Li-ion batteries. Figure 1