Issue 6, 2016

NiCo2S4 nanotube arrays grown on flexible nitrogen-doped carbon foams as three-dimensional binder-free integrated anodes for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

Binary metal sulfides, especially NiCo2S4, hold great promise as anode materials for high-performance lithium-ion batteries because of their excellent electronic conductivity and high capacity compared to mono-metal sulfides and oxides. Here, NiCo2S4 nanotube arrays are successfully grown on flexible nitrogen-doped carbon foam (NDCF) substrates with robust adhesion via a facile surfactant-assisted hydrothermal route and the subsequent sulfurization treatment. The obtained NiCo2S4/NDCF composites show unique three-dimensional architectures, in which NiCo2S4 nanotubes of ∼5 μm in length and 100 nm in width are uniformly grown on the NDCF skeletons to form arrays. When used directly as integrated anodes for lithium-ion batteries without any conductive additives and binders, the NiCo2S4/NDCF composites exhibit a high reversible capacity of 1721 mA h g−1 at a high current density of 500 mA g−1, enhanced cycling performance with the capacity maintained at 1182 mA h g−1 after 100 cycles, and a remarkable rate capability. The excellent lithium storage performances of the composites could be attributed to the unique material composition, a rationally designed hollow nanostructure and an integrated smart architecture, which offer fast electron transport and ion diffusion, enhanced material/–electrolyte contact area and facile accommodation of strains during the lithium insertion and extraction process.

Graphical abstract: NiCo2S4 nanotube arrays grown on flexible nitrogen-doped carbon foams as three-dimensional binder-free integrated anodes for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
07 Dec. 2015
Accepted
08 Janv. 2016
First published
08 Janv. 2016

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2016,18, 4505-4512

Author version available

NiCo2S4 nanotube arrays grown on flexible nitrogen-doped carbon foams as three-dimensional binder-free integrated anodes for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

X. Wu, S. Li, B. Wang, J. Liu and M. Yu, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2016, 18, 4505 DOI: 10.1039/C5CP07541F

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