Synthesis of carbon nanotube (CNT)-entangled CuO nanotube networks via CNT-catalytic growth and in situ thermal oxidation as additive-free anodes for lithium ion batteries

Preparation of CuO@humic acid@carbon nanotube composite material using humic acid as a coupling agent and its lithium-ion storage performance

The conventional Li-ion battery composite electrode material composed of CuO and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) suffer from poor contact between CuO and CNTs. This results in high electrode resistance and poor electrochemical performance. To solve this problem, CuO@humic acid (HA) @CNT anode material with cross-linked network structure was generated by linking CuO and CNT with HA as a coupling agent. For comparison, CuO@HA or CuO@CNT were also prepared in the absence of CNT or HA, respectively. The results showed that CuO@HA@CNT had lower charge transfer resistance, higher conductivity, lithium-ion diffusion coefficient, specific capacity, and rate capability than CuO@HA and CuO@CNT. The specific capacity of the CuO@HA@CNT electrode was significantly better than that of the composite electrode materials of CuO and CNT, which have been prepared by scientists using various methods. Due to the introduction of HA, not only was the uniformly distributed flower-like CuO obtained, but also the specific capacity and rate capability of the electrode material were substantially improved. This study thus provides a good strategy to optimize the capability of transition metal oxide lithium-ion anode materials.

First-principles computational investigation of nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes as anode materials for lithium-ion and potassium-ion batteries

Significant research efforts, mostly experimental, have been devoted to finding high-performance anode materials for lithium-ion and potassium-ion batteries; both graphitic carbon-based and carbon nanotube-based materials have been generating huge interest. Here, first-principles calculations are performed to investigate the possible effects of doping defects and the varying tube diameter of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on their potential for battery applications. Both adsorption and migration of Li and K are studied for a range of pristine and nitrogen-doped CNTs, which are further compared with 2D graphene-based counterparts. We use detailed electronic structure analyses to reveal that different doping defects are advantageous for carbon nanotube-based and graphene-based models, as well as that curved CNT walls help facilitate the penetration of potassium through the doping defect while showing a negative effect on that of lithium.

Boosting Lithium-Ion Storage Capability in CuO Nanosheets via Synergistic Engineering of Defects and Pores

CuO is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries due to its high theoretical capacity, low cost, and non-toxicity. However, its practical application has been plagued by low conductivity and poor cyclability. Herein, we report the facile synthesis of porous defective CuO nanosheets by a simple wet-chemical route paired with controlled annealing. The sample obtained after mild heat treatment (300°C) exhibits an improved crystallinity with low dislocation density and preserved porous structure, manifesting superior Li-ion storage capability with high capacity (~500 mAh/g at 0.2 C), excellent rate (175 mAh/g at 2 C), and cyclability (258 mAh/g after 500 cycles at 0.5 C). The enhanced electrochemical performance can be ascribed to the synergy of porous nanosheet morphology and improved crystallinity: (1) porous morphology endows the material a large contact interface for electrolyte impregnation, enriched active sites for Li-ion uptake/release, more room for accommodation of repeated volume variation during lithiation/de-lithiation. (2) the improved crystallinity with reduced edge dislocations can boost the electrical conduction, reducing polarization during charge/discharge. The proposed strategy based on synergic pore and defect engineering can pave the way for development of advanced metal oxides-based electrodes for (beyond) Li-ion batteries.