Nanostructured transition metal oxides as advanced anodes for lithium-ion batteries

The exploration for post-carbon electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries has been a crucial way to satisfy the ever-growing demands for better performance with higher energy/power densities, enhanced safety, and longer cycle life. Transition metal oxides have recently received a great deal of attention as very promising anode materials due to their high theoretical capacity, good safety, eco-benignity, and huge abundance. The present work reviews the latest advances in developing novel transition metal oxides, including Fe2O3, Fe3O4, Co3O4, CoO, NiO, MnO, Mn2O3, Mn3O4, MnO2, MoO3, Cr2O3, Nb2O5, and some binary oxides such as NiCo2O4, ZnCo2O4, MnCo2O4 and CoMn2O4. Nanostructuring and hybrid strategies applicable to transition metal oxides are summarized and analyzed. Furthermore, the impacts of binder choice and heat treatment on electrochemical performance are discussed.