3D Ordered Macroporous Carbon Encapsulated ZnO Nanoparticles as a High-Performance Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries

A one-step template-based technique for the fabrication of three dimensionally ordered macroporous carbon (3DOMC) was developed. 3DOMC, prepared using silica crystal as a template and soluble resol as a carbon source, possesses ordered macropores with mesoporous walls. ZnO nanoparticles were deposited on as-prepared 3DOMC via a simple in situ growth process to form a ZnO/3DOMC anode material for lithium-ion batteries. In the composite, the ZnO nanoparticles (approximate to 3.9 nm) were well-dispersed on the walls of 3DOMC. The ZnO/3DOMC anode exhibited an enhanced performance in a lithium battery delivering a specific capacity of 673 mAhg(-1) at a current density of 0.1 C (0.1 C= 97.8 mAg(-1)) after 300 cycles. This superior performance was ascribed to the ordered interconnected macropores of 3DOMC which could provide rapid diffusion paths for lithium-ion diffusion and the electrolyte penetration, and buffer the volume changes of the ZnO nanoparticles upon cycling. Furthermore, the mesoporous structure of the 3DOMC walls could enhance the wettability of the ZnO-based electrode, further improving its electrochemical performance.