High capacity performance of <scp> NiCo <sub>2</sub> O <sub>4</sub> </scp> nanostructures as a binder‐free anode material for <scp>lithium‐ion</scp> batteries
Ashok Kumar Kakarla, D. Narsimulu, Jae Su Yu
Abstract
Recently, binder-free nanostructured materials provide a great opportunity for advanced lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to their improved electrical conductivity with good porous structure. NiCo2O4 (NCO) nanostructures were successfully deposited on copper foam (CF) substrate to form porous three-dimensional (3D) [email protected] hybrid structures via a simple solvothermal synthesis, followed by further heat treatment at 300°C (designated as [email protected]) and 400°C ([email protected]). The as-prepared samples revealed distinctly mixed morphologies of 2D nanosphere and nanowire-like structures, tuned by the further heat treatment. Both the electrodes could be explored as a binder-free anode for next-generation LIBs. It is demonstrated that the good integration of 2D morphology of NCO with 3D architectured CF has a significant effect on its electrochemical results. For the first cycle, binder-free [email protected] and [email protected] electrodes delivered the discharge capacity values of 1946 and 2637 mA h g−1, respectively, at 500 mA g−1. Moreover, the [email protected] electrode exhibited stable reversible capacity and good rate capability. From these results, the growth of NCO nanostructures on the CF can be suggested as a potential anode material for high-performance Li-ion batteries.