Superior Cathode Performance of Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Frameworks for Lithium Ion Batteries

Abstract

Development of alternative cathode materials is of highly desirable for sustainable and cost-efficient lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in energy storage fields. In this study, for the first time, we report tunable nitrogen-doped graphene with active functional groups for cathode utilization of LIBs. When employed as cathode materials, the functionalized graphene frameworks with a nitrogen content of 9.26 at% retain a reversible capacity of 344 mAh g after 200 cycles at a current density of 50 mA g. More surprisingly, when conducted at a high current density of 1 A g, this cathode delivers a high reversible capacity of 146 mAh g after 1000 cycles. Our current research demonstrates the effective significance of nitrogen doping on enhancing cathode performance of functionalized graphene for LIBs.

Ultrathin Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Layer Uniformly Supported on Graphene Frameworks as Ultrahigh‐Capacity Anode for Lithium‐Ion Full Battery

“…[30] Associated with the structural and compositional analysis of NC@GF-T as discussed above, it is reasonable to believe that such prominent electrochemical performances of NC@GF-600 could be attributed to the following factors: (i) the ultrathin N-doped carbon layer on both sides of graphene can greatly promote the charge transfer by modulating the electronic and full utilization of active sites to realize the rapid and complete Li storage; (ii) the highest pyridinic nitrogen level among the three NC@GF-T samples creates more active sites for lithium storage; (iii) unique structure in 3D architecture can not only provide multidimensional interconnected pathway for electron transport, but also enable the facile access of electrolyte and thus the fast transport of lithium ions, satisfying the kinetics demands of high-power lithium ion batteries; (iv) the high electrical conductivity of graphene frameworks within each carbon layer can act as mini-current collectors homogeneously dispersed in the electrode. [31][32][33][34] The ultrahigh capacity, excellent cycling stability, and remarkable rate capability of the NC@GF-600 half-cell encourage us to further measure its performance as anode in a full cell. A full lithium-ion battery was fabricated using the LiFePO 4 (LFP) as cathode and NC@GF-600 as anode.…”

Recent Advances in Layered Ti3C2Tx MXene for Electrochemical Energy Storage

“…It is generally known that the chemical doping of heteroatoms is an efficient strategy to improve the electrochemical performance of electrode materials . For example, the nitrogen doping of graphene has led to abundant achievements in energy‐storage applications .…”

“…It is generally known that the chemical doping of heteroatoms is an efficient strategy to improve the electrochemical performance of electrode materials. [161][162][163] For example, the nitrogen doping of graphene has led to abundant achievements in energy-storage applications. [164][165][166] Similar to that of graphene, the electrochemical performance of 2D Ti 3 C 2 T x is expected to be improved by heteroatom doping.…”

Three-Dimensional Heteroatom-Doped Nanocarbon for Metal-Free Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysis: A Review

“…The lack of intrinsic bandgap muchly limits the applications of pristine graphene in the areas of energy storage, electrocatalysis, and nanoelectronics [73]. Fortunately, chemical doping with foreign atoms has been demonstrated to be an effective method to tailor the electronic and electrochemical properties of graphene by changing the electronic density within the graphene sheet, thus opening the bandgap in graphene, and extending its applications [74,75]. For example, the increased active sites and enhanced catalytic activity of graphene towards ORR have been achieved by doping with foreign non-metallic atoms (e.g., N, B, P, or S) [36,[76][77][78].…”