Transition
metal oxides are a potential anode material owing to
their high theoretical capacity. Nonetheless, their large volume changes
and low electrical conductivities lead to poor cycling performance
and rate capabilities. In this article, an effective strategy is proposed
and developed for preparing a ZnO/N-doped graphene composite (ZnNc/GO-5).
The key point of this strategy is to use zinc tetra tert-butyl-naphthalocyanine (ZnNc) as a codoped source of N atoms and
zinc ions, and graphene oxide (GO) which is combined with ZnNc by
π–π deposition as a carbon matrix. After calcination,
ZnO microcrystals coated with N-doped graphene are obtained. The unique
features of the composite and synergistic effect between N-doped reduced
graphene oxide and ZnO microcrystals enable good electrochemical performance
by the composites when used in lithium-ion batteries. As an anode
material, the as-synthesized ZnNc/GO-5 composite delivers a high first
capacity of 1942.9 mAh g–1 and excellent cyclic
stability of 861.4 mAh g–1 after 150 cycles at 100
mA g–1. This strategy may offer a new method of
designing the anode materials of lithium-ion batteries and promote
the practical use of organic molecules in next-generation lithium-ion
batteries.