Generation of Cu2O hierarchical microspheres with oxygen vacancy on Cu foam for fast Li-storage kinetics

Enhancing the electrochemical reaction kinetics is an effective route to achieving high-performance anode for lithium-ion batteries. In this paper, vanadium-doped Cu2O microspheres (V-Cu2O) are directly grown on Cu foam by a facile hydrothermal method combined with heat treatment. The characterization results confirmed that V-doped has not only induced the formation of the radially oriented nanostructure but also generated abundant oxygen vacancies in Cu2O. After testing as an anode for lithium-ion batteries, the V-Cu2O delivered a reversible capacity of 1173 mAh/g after 100 cycles at the current density of 100 mA g-1. The excellent Li storage performance could be ascribed to the synergistic effect of fast kinetics from abundant oxygen vacancies and the extra capacity from vanadium ions. This work proposed a promising and effective strategy to modify the Li-storage performance of anode materials.

Automated summary

Enhancing the electrochemical reaction kinetics is crucial for achieving high-performance anodes in lithium-ion batteries. In this study, vanadium-doped Cu2O microspheres (V-Cu2O) were synthesized on Cu foam through a facile hydrothermal method and heat treatment. The doping of vanadium induced the formation of radially oriented nanostructures and abundant oxygen vacancies in Cu2O. The V-Cu2O anode exhibited a reversible capacity of 1173 mAh/g after 100 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g-1, which can be attributed to the synergistic effect of fast kinetics from oxygen vacancies and additional capacity from vanadium ions. This work proposes a promising and effective strategy to enhance the Li-storage performance of anode materials.