VN@C hollow structures derived from ZIF-8 templates for a lithium-ion battery anode

Abstract

A rationally designed strategy was employed for the preparation of VN@C hollow structures using ZIF-8 polyhedra as sacrificial templates. Meanwhile, ZIF-8 also plays the role of both nitrogen and carbon sources during the synthetic process. Benefiting from the unique loose hollow structure with high surface area of VN@C, as well as the support of carbon, the product displays an outstanding lithium storage performance. The discharge capacity can reach 495.3 mA h g⁻¹ at 1 A g⁻¹ after 500 cycles.