High-loading individually dispersed NiCo2O4 anchoring on checkerboard-like C/CNT nanosheets as a binder-free high rate electrode for lithium storage. Issue 8 (29th January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Hanwei; Hu, Lintong; Wang, Chao; Sun, Qingfeng; Li, Huiqiao; Zhai, Tianyou
• Is Part Of: Journal of materials chemistry. Volume 7:Issue 8(2019)
• Page Start: 3632
• Page End: 3641
• Publication Date: 2019-01-29
• Subjects: Materials -- Research -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Analytic -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; 543.0284
• DOI: 10.1039/c8ta12196f
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2050-7488

Abstract

Abstract : This work design a new checkerboard-like TMO/C/CNT nanosheet anode, achieving an individually dispersion of nano-TMOs under an ultrahigh loading of 85.1%, which exhibits an excellent rate performance and cycling stability for LIBs. Abstract : Nanoscale transitional metal oxides (TMOs) are promising anode materials for high-performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), but achieving a high-load TMO electrode with excellent conductivity and good cycling stability still remains a big challenge especially for nanosized TMO particles. Herein, we report a novel strategy to prepare checkerboard-like NiCo2 O4 @C/CNT (N@C/CNT) nanosheets by a facile cellulose template-assisted method. The 2D, 1D and 0D ternary hybrid structures achieve individual dispersion of high-load NiCo2 O4 nanoparticle (NP) "chess pieces" (diameter ∼ 25 nm) anchored on C/CNT nanosheets (thickness ∼ 50 nm), in which the CNT "grid lines" and cellulose-derived carbon "chess lattices" act as a high-speed conductive network and loading substrate, respectively. Due to the self-assembly of these nanosheets, the designed electrodes are created with no binder or other additives and possess adjustable thickness, high electrode density and a strong conductivity of 175.9 S cm −1 even at a high NiCo2 O4 content of 85.1%. The binder-free electrode exhibits superior rate capabilities (1208 mA h g −1 at 0.1 A g −1 and 830 mA h g −1 at 20 A g −1 ) and little capacity fading at 20 A g −1 over 4000 cycles. Such a strategy enables an ultrahigh mass loading of 12.8 mg cm −2 (2.5 g cm −3 ) with the same time high electrochemical performances.