General and facile synthesis of hollow metal oxide nanoparticles coupled with graphene nanomesh architectures for highly efficient lithium storage

Abstract

Rational design and construction of novel nanostructured electrode materials with high energy/power density and long cycling lifetime is urgently required for developing high-performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, we report a facile and generalized approach for the synthesis of hollow transition metal oxide (NiO, Co₃O₄, and FeO_x) nanoparticles coupled with graphene nanomesh architectures (H-TMO/GMAs) through combining in situ carbothermal reduction with an oxidation strategy on the basis of spontaneously assembled graphene hybrid frameworks. Benefiting from the naturally integrated advantages of both subunits, which synergistically provide a robust structure, large ion-accessible surface area, and efficient electron/ion transport pathways, the newly developed hollow-on-mesh H-TMO/GMAs show promising performance as free-standing LIB anodes. Remarkably, the H-NiO/GMA exhibits a high specific capacity (1145 mA h g⁻¹ at 0.2 A g⁻¹), ultra-high rate capability (574 mA h g⁻¹ at 10 A g⁻¹), and excellent cycling stability (98% storage capacity retention after 1000 cycles), which is among the best results that have been reported for NiO-based anode materials. This work paves the way for developing novel hollow-on-mesh electrode material systems for highly efficient lithium storage.