Enhanced electrochemical performance of ZnO-loaded/porous carbon composite as anode materials for lithium ion batteries

ZnO-loaded/porous carbon (PC) composites with different ZnO loading amounts are first synthesized via a facile solvothermal method and evaluated for anode materials of lithium ion batteries. The architecture and the electrochemical performance of the as-prepared composites are investigated through structure characterization and galvanostatic charge/discharge test. The ZnO-loaded/PC composites possess a rich porous structure with well-distributed ZnO particles (size range: 30-100 nm) in the PC host. The one with 54 wt % ZnO loading contents exhibits a high reversible capacity of 653.7 mA h g^-1 after 100 cycles. In particular, a capacity of 496.8 mA h g^-1 can be reversibly obtained when cycled at 1000 mA g^-1. The superior lithium storage properties of the composite may be attributed to its nanoporous structure together with an interconnected network. The modified interfacial reaction kinetics of the composite promotes the intercalation/deintercalation of lithium ions and the charge transfer on the electrode. As a result, the enhanced capacity of the composite electrode is achieved, as well as its high rate capability.