The role of thermal annealing on the microstructures of (Ti, Fe)-alloyed Si thin-film anodes for high-performance Li-ion batteries

The Effect of Annealing Temperature on the Synthesis of Nickel Ferrite Films as High-Capacity Anode Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries

Anode materials providing a high specific capacity with a high cycling performance are one of the key parameters for lithium ion batteries' (LIBs) applications. Herein, a high-capacity NiFe2O4(NFO) film anode is prepared by E-beam evaporation, and the effect of the heat treatment is studied on the microstructure and electrochemical properties of LIBs. The NiFe2O4 film annealed at 800 °C (NFO-800) showed a highly crystallized structure and different surface morphologies when compared to the electrode annealed at a lower temperature (NFO-600, NFO-700). In the electrochemical measurements, the high specific capacity (1804 mA g-1) and capacity retention ratio (95%) after 100 cycles were also achieved by the NFO-800 electrode. The main reason for the good electrochemical performance of the NFO-800 electrode is a high structure integrity, which could improve the cycle stability with a high discharge capacity. The NiFe2O4 electrode with an annealing process could be further proposed as an alternative ferrite material.

Ultra-Thin ReS2 Nanosheets Grown on Carbon Black for Advanced Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes

ReS2 nanosheets are grown on the surface of carbon black (CB) via an efficient hydrothermal method. We confirmed the ultra-thin ReS2 nanosheets with ≈1-4 layers on the surface of the CB (ReS2@CB) by using analytical techniques of field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The ReS2@CB nanocomposite showed high specific capacities of 760, 667, 600, 525, and 473 mAh/g at the current densities of 0.1 (0.23 C), 0.2 (0.46 C), 0.3 (0.7 C), 0.5 (1.15 C) and 1.0 A/g (2.3 C), respectively, in conjunction with its excellent cycling performance (432 mAh/g at 2.3 C; 91.4% capacity retention) after 100 cycles. Such LIB performance is greatly higher than pure CB and ReS2 powder samples. These results could be due to the following reasons: (1) the low-cost CB serves as a supporter enabling the formation of ≈1-4 layered nanosheets of ReS2, thus avoiding its agglomeration; (2) the CB enhances the electrical conductivity of the ReS2@CB nanocomposite; (3) the ultra-thin (1-4 layers) ReS2 nanosheets with imperfect structure can function as increasing the number of active sites for reaction of Li+ ions with electrolytes. The outstanding performance and unique structural characteristics of the ReS2@CB anodes make them promising candidates for the ever-increasing development of advanced LIBs.