Synergistic Interactions of Different Electroactive Components for Superior Lithium Storage Performance

The fusion of different electroactive components of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) sometimes brings exceptional electrochemical properties. We herein report the reduced graphene-oxide (rGO)-coated Zn₂SnO₄@NiO nanofibers (ZSO@NiO@G NFs) formed by the synergistic fusion of three different electroactive components including ZnO, SnO₂, and NiO that exhibit exceptional electrochemical properties as negative electrodes for LIBs. The simple synthetic route comprised of electrospinning and calcination processes enables to form porous one-dimensional (1D) structured ZSO, which is the atomic combination between ZnO and SnO₂, exhibiting effective strain relaxation during battery operation. Furthermore, the catalytic effect of Ni converted from the surface-functional NiO nanolayer on ZSO significantly contributes to improved reversible capacity. Finally, rGO sheets formed on the surface of ZSO@NiO NFs enable to construct electrically conductive path as well as a stable SEI layer, resulting in excellent electrochemical performances. Especially, exceptional cycle lifespan of more than 1600 cycles with a high capacity (1060 mAh g^-1) at a high current density (1000 mA g^-1), which is the best result among mixed transition metal oxide (stannates, molybdates, cobaltates, ferrites, and manganates) negative electrodes for LIBs, is demonstrated.