Graphene improving lithium-ion battery performance by construction of NiCo2O4/graphene hybrid nanosheet arrays

NiCo2O4 is a potential lithium-ion battery (LIB) anode material that can be applied to the industrial production for commercial applications. However, the capacity and cycling stability of the LIB based on NiCo2O4 should be improved first. Herein, graphene-based NiCo2O4 nanosheet arrays directly grown on nickel foam have been successfully synthesized. This composites array shows significantly improved lithium storage properties with higher reversible capacity and better cycling stability than NiCo2O4 nanosheets. The three-dimensional graphene not only serves as a conductive network to increase the conductivity of the NiCo2O4, but also can offer effective buffering to accommodate the lithiation-induced stress which is beneficial to lithium storage and cycling stability.(C) 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.