High-Performance CuO as an Anode Material via Facile Synthesis for Lithium-Ion Batteries

While carbon matrices have demonstrated effectiveness in enhancing the electrical conductivity and accommodating the volume expansion of CuO-based anode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), achieving an optimized utilization ratio of the active CuO component remains a challenging obstacle. In this investigation, we have devised a straightforward synthesis approach to fabricate ultrafine CuO nanoparticles integrated within a high surface area carbon matrix denoted as CuO@C. We discovered that with the use of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose binder and fluoroethylene carbonate additives, this anode exhibits enhanced performance compared to previous reports. This material, owing to its distinctive architecture, reveals a notable reversible capacity of 800 mA h g⁻¹ at 100 mA g⁻¹ following 100 cycles and exhibits prolonged cycling stability, recording a reversible capacity of 450 mA h g⁻¹ at 400 mA g⁻¹ over 500 cycles. The exceptional lithium-storage performance of CuO@C is attributed to its high surface area carbon matrix and the presence of ultrafine CuO nanoparticles, which afford a greater abundance of exposed active sites favorable to electrochemical reactions.<br/><br/><b>Keywords:</b> CuO, high surface area, carbon matrix, lithium-ion batteries, electrochemical reactions