Two-dimensional metal oxide nanosheets for rechargeable batteries

Two-dimensional (2D) metal oxide nanosheets have attracted much attention as potential electrode materials for rechargeable batteries in recent years. This is primarily due to their natural abundance, environmental compatibility, and low cost as well as good electrochemical properties. Despite the fact that most metal oxides possess low conductivity, the introduction of some conductive heterogeneous components, such as nano-carbon, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and graphene, to form metal oxide-based hybrids, can effectively overcome this drawback. In this mini review, we will summarize the recent advances of three typical 2D metal oxide nanomaterials, namely, binary metal oxides, ternary metal oxides, and hybrid metal oxides, which are used for the electrochemical applications of next-generation rechargeable batteries, mainly for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Hence, this review intends to functionalize as a good reference for the further research on 2D nanomaterials and the further development of energy-storage devices. (C) 2017 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.