Facile Hydrothermal Fabrication of an α-Ni(OH)2/N-Doped Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanohybrid as a High-Performance Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Metal hydroxides are a kind of promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of their large theoretical capacity, easy preparation, and low cost. However, their application has been restricted by cycling instability and slow kinetics arising from large volume variation and poor conductivity. Herein, a nanostructured alpha-Ni(OH)2/N-doped reduced graphene oxide (NrGO) hybrid is fabricated through a hydrothermal approach. This Ni(OH)2/NrGO hybrid exhibits high reversible capacity (1220 mA h g-1 at 0.2 A g-1), superior cyclability, and superb rate ability (559 mA h g-1 at 10 A g-1). The excellent electrochemical performance benefits from the hybrid nanostructure, which inhibits the agglomeration of active nanoparticles, exposes more electroactive sites, inhibits the restacking of NrGO sheets, and retains mechanical integrity during cycling. Besides, the highly conductive NrGO sheets provide efficient transport pathways for electrons and further enhance the electrochemical kinetics. When paired with the LiCoO2 cathode, this Ni(OH)2/NrGO hybrid displays a stable capacity in a full cell, demonstrating its promising practicability in LIBs.