The sucrose-assisted NiCo2O4@C composites with enhanced lithium-storage properties

In this paper, porous NiCo2O4@amorphous carbon (NCO@C) composites have been designed and fabricated via a sucrose-assisted hydrothermal method where sucrose act as carbon sources and chelating agent, followed by annealing in air atmosphere. The synthesized NCO@C composites exhibited porous, polycrystalline, and carbon-coated nature. When it was used as anode material for lithium-ion batteries, the porous NCO@C composite electrode delivered a high discharge specific capacity of 1224.8 mAh g(-1) with 133.6% of the second reversible capacity over 190 cycles at a current density of 500 mA g(-1). Even at a current density as high as 4000 mA g(-1), a reversible capacity of 675.4 mAh g(-1) was still obtained. The enhanced Li-storage performance should be attributed to the porous and firm nanostructure coated with a thin amorphous carbon layer (similar to 2 nm), as well as synergistic effects of NCO@C composites. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.