Facile synthesis and electrochemical performance of a copper-doped anode material Cu0.5Ni0.5Co2O4 for lithium-ion batteries

A copper-doped lithium-ion battery anode material Cu0.5Ni0.5Co2O4 was obtained through simple hydrothermal synthesis and assisted by high-temperature calcination. Metal-organic framework was introduced into the precursor, and after calcination at 500°C, a porous nano-particle material with the specific surface area of 41.68 m2 g−1 was obtained. With the assistance of metal-organic framework, the prepared material can effectively alleviate the volume expansion problem generated during the charge/discharge process and improve the electrochemical performance. More importantly, the Cu0.5Ni0.5Co2O4 electrode material not only maintains good cycle stability but also has a high charge/discharge specific capacity. The material can remain 1347.93 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at the current density of 1000 mA g−1, and has a high discharge specific capacity of 1846.50 mAh g−1 in the first cycle at the current density of 1000 mA g−1. Benefit from the structural features, the resultant Cu0.5Ni0.5Co2O4 electrode material exhibits good electrochemical performance with remarkable specific capacities (1411.36–919.76 mAh g−1) at various current densities (50–1000 mA g−1).