In the search for high-capacity anode materials, a facile hydrothermal route has been developed to synthesize phase-pure NiC 2 O 4 ·2H 2 O nanorods, which were crystallized into the orthorhombic structure without using templates. To ensure the electrical conductivity of the nanorods, the produced NiC 2 O 4 ·2H 2 O nanorods were attached to reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets via self-assembly layer-by-layer processes that utilize the electrostatic adsorption that occurs in a poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) solution. The high electrical conductivity aided by the presence of rGO significantly improved the electrochemical properties: 933 mAh g − 1 for the charge capacity (oxidation), which showed 87.5% efficiency at the first cycle with a retention of approximately 85% for 100 cycles, and 586 mAh g − 1 at 10 C-rates (10 A g − 1 ) for the NiC 2 O 4 ·2H 2 O/rGO electrode. The lithium storage processes were involved in the conversion reaction, which were fairly reversible via a transformation to Ni metal accompanied by the formation of a lithium oxalate compound upon discharge (reduction) and restoration to the original NiC 2 O 4 ·2H 2 O upon charging (oxidation); this was confirmed via X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron microscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy. We believe that the high rate capacity and rechargeability upon cycling are the result of the unique features of the highly crystalline NiC 2 O 4 ·2H 2 O nanorods assisted by conducting rGOs.
INTRODUCTIONThe demand for sustainable and green-energy sources is rising because of increasing concerns regarding fast population growth and industrialization worldwide. Lithium-ion batteries have been developed as power sources over several decades and have achieved great commercial success, ranging from mobile to stationary applications. [1][2][3][4] Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are suitable for the aforementioned applications because of their high energy density and high power properties. 5,6 In commercial batteries, graphite is commonly adopted as the active material for the negative electrodes. Apart from its ability to accommodate Li + ions in its structure and its reversibility, the theoretical capacity of graphite is limited to 372 mAh g − 1 . 7 The predominant intercalation potential of graphite is approximately 0.1 V vs Li/Li + , which results in risks associated with short circuits derived from dendritic growth of Li. In the past, efforts have been made to find high-capacity alternative electrode materials to replace graphite. These new materials can be classified based on their reaction mechanisms: (i) intercalation: Ti-based oxides that store