Dealloyed Porous NiFe₂O₄/NiO with Dual-Network Structure as High-Performance Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Spinel nickel iron oxide (NiFe2O4) is a promising high-capacity anode material due to its abundance and safe operating voltage.
• Commercialization is hindered by capacity fading, poor reversibility, volume variation, and low conductivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate NiFe2O4/NiO composites with a dual-network structure to enhance electrochemical performance.
• To address the limitations of NiFe2O4 as an anode material for energy storage applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of NiFe2O4/NiO composites using a simple dealloying method.
• Characterization of the dual-network structure (nanosheet networks and ligament-pore networks).

Main Results:

• The dual-network structure facilitates ion/electron transfer and accommodates volume expansion.
• Excellent electrochemical performance was achieved: 756.9 mAh g⁻¹ at 200 mA g⁻¹ after 100 cycles.
• Sustained capacity of 641.1 mAh g⁻¹ at 500 mA g⁻¹ after 1000 cycles.

Conclusions:

• The developed dual-network structured NiFe2O4/NiO material offers superior electrochemical performance for battery anodes.
• This work presents a facile method for preparing advanced oxide anode materials and advances dealloying techniques.