Synthesis of a High‐Capacity NiO/Ni Foam Anode for Advanced Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Abstract

In recent years, lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) are used in a range of energy storage applications, such as mobile phones, electronic devices, and automobiles. Some recent research on LIBs has looked at replacing carbonaceous anode materials with transition metal oxides due to their high theoretical capacity, ranging from 500 to 1000 mAh g −1 . In particular, NiO is considered as one of the most promising options due to its high theoretical capacity (718 mAh g −1 ). Herein, a porous NiO/Ni anode is fabricated via freezing/drying followed by thermal oxidation. The fabricated porous NiO/Ni anode is then characterized using X‐ray diffraction scanning electron microscopy, and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. The cycling performance of the freeze‐cast NiO/Ni anode is evaluated using a half‐coin cell test, and it demonstrates superior electrochemical performance and good cycling stability during the charging/discharging process. The freeze‐cast NiO/Ni anode also exhibits a higher rate performance when compared with that of commercial Ni foam and a conventional graphite anode. It is revealed that the initial crystalline surface oxide layer is amorphized, and the lattice defect density increases in the Ni struts during the lithiation process. However, these microstructure changes did not influence considerably the good electrochemical performance of the material.