Facile construction of ZnWO4/ZnO porous nanoplates on reduced graphene oxide for superior lithium storage

Zinc tungstate (ZnWO4) shows great promise as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to its reversible multi-electron redox reactions and high theoretical capacity. Nevertheless, the low conductivity and big strain during cycling can lead to the inferior electrochemical properties of the ZnWO4 anode, hindering its practical application. Herein, we report a novel composite with ZnWO4/ZnO porous nanoplates in-situ con-structed on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) by a metal-organic framework template strategy. The nanoplates with good porosity are composed of nanoparticles and nanorods, providing a short Li+-diffusion distance and plentiful Li+ storage active sites. The introduction of rGO can accelerate charge transfer and reinforce structural stability. As a result of these advantages, the ZnWO4/ZnO/rGO composite as LIBs anode delivers a high reversible capacity of 811 mAh g after 100 cycles at 200 mA g-1, excellent rate capability (437 mAh g at 5000 mA g-1), and good long cycling stability (485 mAh g after 500 cycles at 2000 mA g-1). Notably, the rate capability of the composite far precedes the previously reported ZnWO4-based anodes. This work provides an efficient approach for designing and fabricating advanced metal tungstate-based anodes for high-performance LIBs.