A facile route to dually protected Ge@GeO2 composites as anode materials for lithium ion battery

• Published in: Chemical engineering journal (Lausanne, Switzerland : 1996) Vol. 296; pp. 349 - 355
• Main Authors: Xu, Rui, Wu, Songping, Du, Yao, Zhang, Zhen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15.07.2016
• Subjects: Anode; Dual-protection; Ge@GeO2; Graphene; Lithium-ion battery; Ge@GeO2; Lithium-ion battery; Dual-protection; Anode; Graphene
• ISSN: 1385-8947; 1873-3212
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2016.03.126

•Carbon-encapsulated and graphene-covered Ge@GeO2 particles were prepared.•Composites delivered reversible capacity of 729mAhg−1 at 0.8Ag−1 after 50 cycles at 10°C.•These advantages make the composites promising anode materials for LIBs. A facile route has been adopted to yield amorphous carbon@graphene nanosheets@Ge@GeO2 (a-C@GNs@Ge@GeO2) composites, which were utilized as advanced anode materials for Li-ion battery. The rationally designed dual-protection for Ge@GeO2, i.e. encapsulation of amorphous carbon and cover of graphene nanosheets, has been successfully formed by magnesiothermic reduction and hydrothermal reaction followed by heat treatment. As a consequence, the designed composite electrode delivered a remarkable capacity of 729mAhg−1 at a current density of 800mAg−1 after 50 cycles at low temperature of 10°C, with low capacity fading of 0.12% per cycle and excellent rate capability. Of special note is that high thermosensitivity of electrochemical performance of a-C@GNs@Ge@GeO2 has been observed. These advantages make a-C@GNs@Ge@GeO2 promising anode materials of advanced Li-ion battery for electric vehicle.