Jiazhao Wang

Large-scale exfoliation of inorganic layered compounds in aqueous surfactant solutions.

Ronan J. Smith , Paul J. King , Mustafa Lotya , Christian Wirtz , Umar Khan , Sukanta De , Arlene O’Neill , Georg S. Duesberg , Jaime C. Grunlan , Gregory Moriarty , Jun Chen , Jiazhao Wang , Andrew I. Minett , Valeria Nicolosi , and Jonathan N. Coleman *

Graphene-Encapsulated Fe3O4 Nanoparticles with 3D Laminated Structure as Superior Anode in Lithium Ion Batteries

Fe(3)O(4)-graphene composites with three-dimensional laminated structures have been synthesised by a simple in situ hydrothermal method. From field-emission and transmission electron microscopy results, the Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles, around 3-15 nm in size, are highly encapsulated in a graphene nanosheet matrix. The reversible Li-cycling properties of Fe(3)O(4)-graphene have been evaluated by galvanostatic discharge-charge cycling, cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy. Results show that the Fe(3)O(4)-graphene nanocomposite with a graphene content of 38.0 wt % exhibits a stable capacity of about 650 mAh  g(-1) with no noticeable fading for up to 100 cycles in the voltage range of 0.0-3.0 V. The superior performance of Fe(3)O(4)-graphene is clearly established by comparison of the results with those from bare Fe(3)O(4). The graphene nanosheets in the composite materials could act not only as lithium storage active materials, but also as an electronically conductive matrix to improve the electrochemical performance of Fe(3)O(4).

Simply mixed commercial red phosphorus and carbon nanotube composite with exceptionally reversible sodium-ion storage.

Recently, sodium ion batteries (SIBs) have been given intense attention because they are the most promising alternative to lithium ion batteries for application in renewable power stations and smart grid, owing to their low cost, their abundant natural resources, and the similar chemistry of sodium and lithium. Elemental phosphorus (P) is the most promising anode materials for SIBs with the highest theoretical capacity of 2596 mA h g(-1), but the commercially available red phosphorus cannot react with Na reversibly. Here, we report that simply hand-grinding commercial microsized red phosphorus and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can deliver a reversible capacity of 1675 mA h g(-1) for sodium ion batteries (SIBs), with capacity retention of 76.6% over 10 cycles. Our results suggest that the simply mixed commercial red phosphorus and CNTs would be a promising anode candidate for SIBs with a high capacity and low cost.

Hollow Structured Li3VO4 Wrapped with Graphene Nanosheets in Situ Prepared by a One-Pot Template-Free Method as an Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries

To explore good anode materials of high safety, high reversible capacity, good cycling, and excellent rate capability, a Li3VO4 microbox with wall thickness of 40 nm was prepared by a one-pot and template-free in situ hydrothermal method. In addition, its composite with graphene nanosheets of about six layers of graphene was achieved. Both of them, especially the Li3VO4/graphene nanosheets composite, show superior electrochemical performance to the formerly reported vanadium-based anode materials. The composite shows a reversible capacity of 223 mAh g(-1) even at 20C (1C = 400 mAh g(-1)). After 500 cycles at 10C there is no evident capacity fading.

High-surface-area α-Fe2O3/carbon nanocomposite: one-step synthesis and its highly reversible and enhanced high-rate lithium storage properties

Hollow-structured α-Fe2O3/carbon (HIOC) nanocomposite with a high surface area of around 260 m2 g−1 was synthesized by a one-step, in situ, and industrially-oriented spray pyrolysis method using iron lactate and sucrose solution as the precursors. The small α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals were highly dispersed inside amorphous carbon to form a carbon nanocomposite. Electrochemical measurements showed that the carbon played an important role in affecting both the cycle life and the rate capability of the electrode. The HIOC composites showed the best electrochemical performance in terms of high capacity (1210 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.1 C), enhanced rate capability and excellent cycle stability (720 mAh g−1 at a current density of 2 C up to 220 cycles). HIOC nanocomposite can also be used in other potential applications, such as in gas sensors, catalysts, and biomedical applications because it is easily dispersed in water and has a high surface area.

Sn4+xP3 @ Amorphous Sn-P Composites as Anodes for Sodium-Ion Batteries with Low Cost, High Capacity, Long Life, and Superior Rate Capability

Sn4+x P3 @ amorphous Sn-P composites are a promising cheap anode material for sodium-ion batteries with high capacity (502 mA h g(-1) at a current density of 100 mA g(-1)), long cycling stability (92.6% capacity retention up to 100 cycles), and high rate capability (165 mA h g(-1) at the 10C rate).

Hollow MnCo2O4 submicrospheres with multilevel interiors: From mesoporous spheres to yolk-in-double-shell structures

We present a general strategy to synthesize uniform MnCo2O4 submicrospheres with various hollow structures. By using MnCo-glycolate submicrospheres as the precursor with proper manipulation of ramping rates during the heating process, we have fabricated hollow MnCo2O4 submicrospheres with multilevel interiors, including mesoporous spheres, hollow spheres, yolk-shell spheres, shell-in-shell spheres, and yolk-in-double-shell spheres. Interestingly, when tested as anode materials in lithium ion batteries, the MnCo2O4 submicrospheres with a yolk-shell structure showed the best performance among these multilevel interior structures because these structures can not only supply a high contact area but also maintain a stable structure.

Silicon/Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Composite Paper as a Flexible Anode Material for Lithium Ion Batteries

Flexible silicon/single-walled carbon nanotube (Si/SWCNT) composite paper was prepared using the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method to deposit Si onto SWCNT paper. In the composite, Si mainly shows nanoworm-like morphology. Increasing deposition time results in an increased amount of Si microspheres. Electrochemical measurements show that the capacity of the composite paper is improved by the presence of Si. The Si/SWCNT composite with only 2.2% Si shows a capacity of 163 mA h g−1 at a current density of 25 mA g−1 up to 50 cycles, which is more than 60% improvement of the capacity of pristine CNT paper. The Si contribution in the 2.2%-Si/SWCNT sample is calculated to be higher than 3000 mA h g−1.

Simple synthesis of yolk-shelled ZnCo2O4 microspheres towards enhancing the electrochemical performance of lithium-ion batteries in conjunction with a sodium carboxymethyl cellulose binder

Mixed metal oxides have been attracting more and more attention recently because of their advantages and superiorities, which can improve the electrochemical performance of single metal oxides. These advantages include structural stability, good electronic conductivity, and reversible capacity. In this work, uniform yolk-shelled ZnCo2O4 microspheres were synthesized by pyrolysis of ZnCo-glycolate microsphere precursors which were prepared via a simple refluxing route without any precipitant or surfactant. The formation process of the yolk-shelled microsphere structure during the thermal decomposition of ZnCo-glycolate is discussed, which is mainly based on the heterogeneous contraction caused by non-equilibrium heat treatment. The performances of the as-prepared ZnCo2O4 electrodes using sodium carboxylmethyl cellulose (CMC) and poly-vinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as binders are also compared. Constant current and rate charge–discharge testing results demonstrated that the ZnCo2O4 electrodes using CMC as the binder had better performance than those using PVDF as the binder. It was worth pointing out that the electrode using CMC as the binder nicely yields a discharge capacity of 331 mA h g−1 after 500 cycles at a current density of 1000 mA g−1, which is close to the theoretical value of graphite (371 mA h g−1). Furthermore, the obtained synthetic insights on the complex hollow structures will be of benefit to the design of other anode materials for lithium ion batteries.

MnO@Carbon core-shell nanowires as stable high-performance anodes for lithium-ion batteries

A facile method is presented for the large-scale preparation of rationally designed mesocrystalline MnO@carbon core-shell nanowires with a jointed appearance. The nanostructures have a unique arrangement of internally encapsulated highly oriented and interconnected MnO nanorods and graphitized carbon layers forming an external coating. Based on a comparison and analysis of the crystal structures of MnOOH, Mn2 O3 , and MnO@C, we propose a sequential topotactic transformation of the corresponding precursors to the products. Very interestingly, the individual mesoporous single-crystalline MnO nanorods are strongly interconnected and maintain the same crystallographic orientation, which is a typical feature of mesocrystals. When tested for their applicability to Li-ion batteries (LIB), the MnO@carbon core-shell nanowires showed excellent capacity retention, superior cycling performance, and high rate capability. Specifically, the MnO@carbon core-shell nanostructures could deliver reversible capacities as high as 801 mA h g(-1) at a high current density of 500 mA g(-1) , with excellent electrochemical stability after testing over 200 cycles, indicating their potential application in LIBs. The remarkable electrochemical performance can mainly be attributed to the highly uniform carbon layer around the MnO nanowires, which is not only effective in buffering the structural strain and volume variations of anodes during repeated electrochemical reactions, but also greatly enhances the conductivity of the electrode material. Our results confirm the feasibility of using these rationally designed composite materials for practical applications. The present strategy is simple but very effective, and appears to be sufficiently versatile to be extended to other high-capacity electrode materials with large volume variations and low electrical conductivities.