Mixed CuNi oxide-graphene nanocomposite microspheres as anode for energy storage devices

Transition metal oxides (TMOs = Fe, Ni, Cu, Ti, etc.) have been intensively studied as anodes materials in lithium ion batteries (LIBs) due to their higher reversible capacities compared with commercial graphite. Nevertheless, these materials are affected by strong volume variations upon insertion/extraction of Li+ ions that leads to the rapid destructuration of the electrode often resulting in dramatic irreversible capacity loss and poor cycling stability. The synthesis of TMOs in different nanostructures is an attractive solution. In addition, by opportunely coupling the positive characteristics of nanostructured TMOs with graphene sheets (GNS) enhanced material stability and greatly improved electrochemical performances can be achieved. In this work, we present our recent results on the development of 3D/2D mixed CuNi oxide-graphene composite (CNO/GNS) mesoporous nanoparticles used as anode, along with the structural/morphological and electrochemical characterization thereof. The data are compared with pristine CNO sample demonstrating the remarkable performance improvement of the composites.