High-Tap-Density Fe-Doped Nickel Hydroxide with Enhanced Lithium Storage Performance

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Nickel hydroxide is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its high capacity and low cost.
• However, poor cycling stability limits its practical application in LIBs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize Fe-doped nickel hydroxide powders with enhanced electrochemical performance.
• To investigate the effect of Fe doping on the lithium storage activity, cycling stability, and rate capability of nickel hydroxide anodes.

Main Methods:

• Fe-doped nickel hydroxide powders were synthesized using a simple chemical co-precipitation method.
• Electrochemical performance was evaluated using lithium-ion battery testing, including cycling stability and rate capability tests.
• Kinetic analysis was performed to understand the underlying mechanisms of performance enhancement.

Main Results:

• Fe-doped nickel hydroxide exhibited a high tap density of 2.16 g cm⁻³.
• The Fe-doped material delivered a specific discharge capacity of 1080 mA h g⁻¹ at 200 mA g⁻¹ after 30 cycles, nearly double that of undoped nickel hydroxide (519 mA h g⁻¹).
• At 2000 mA g⁻¹, Fe-doped nickel hydroxide retained a capacity of 661 mA h g⁻¹, significantly outperforming undoped material (182 mA h g⁻¹).

Conclusions:

• Fe doping effectively enhances the electrochemical performance of nickel hydroxide as an anode material for LIBs.
• Doping improves cycling stability, rate capability, and electrochemical reaction kinetics, including reduced resistance and enhanced lithium ion diffusivity.
• This Fe-doped nickel hydroxide presents a viable strategy for developing high-performance anode materials for next-generation lithium-ion batteries.