Sandwich-Structured Graphene-Nickel Silicate-Nickel Ternary Composites as Superior Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries

We report the synthesis of sandwich-structured graphene-nickel silicate-Ni ternary composites by using the solvothermal method followed by a simple in situ reduction procedure. The composites show an interesting structure with graphene sandwiched between two layers of well-dispersed Ni nanoparticles (NPs) anchored on ultrathin nickel silicate nanosheets. These ternary composites exhibit enhanced performance as anode materials owing to the synergistic effect between the graphene matrix and electrochemically inert Ni nanoparticles, an effect that holds promise for the design and fabrication of other advanced electrode materials.