GeOx ultra-dispersed in microporous carbon nanofibers: a binder-free anode for high performance lithium-ion battery

Abstract Carbonaceous materials are usually used to improve the electrochemical performance of GeO x for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Preparing a material in which GeO x is ultra-dispersed in carbon nanofibers via a simple process has rarely been reported. Here we design and prepare a three-dimensional (3D) composite in which amorphous GeO x is ultra-uniformly distributed in one-dimensional (1D) microporous carbon nanofibers (GeO x -mCNFs) via high energy ball milling combined with carbonization-amorphization reactions. When directly used as a binder-free anode material for LIBs, the as-synthesized GeO x -mCNFs hybrid shows a highly reversible specific capacity, a good rate performance, and an excellent cycling stability (i.e., 621 mA h g −1 at 1.2 A g −1 after 300 cycles), which is attributed to the synergistic effects of the ultra-uniform amorphous GeO x , a 1D interconnected carbon nanostructure, and micropores. It is expected that the GeO x -mCNFs hybrid could be utilized as a binder-free anode material in high-current rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.