2,2′-Bis(3-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone)/CMK-3 nanocomposite as cathode material for lithium-ion batteries

An inorganic-organic nanocomposite with the filling of 2,2'-bis(3-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone) (H2bhnq) in the pores of CMK-3 mesoporous carbon, which was synthesized by a simple impregnation method, was employed as a new cathode material for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The characterization of the nanocomposite by wide-angle and low-angle X-ray diffraction, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed the efficient loading of H(2)bhnp within the nanosized pores of CMK-3 carbon. The nanocomposite delivered an initial discharge capacity of 308.6 mAh g(-1) at 0.1 C rate and a capacity retention of 202.6 mAh g(-1) after 50 cycles. The reversible capacities were 124.0 mAh g(-1) at a higher rate of 10 C. The enhanced cycling stability and high-rate capability is attributed to the fact that neat H(2)bhnq was distributed in the nanochannels of the conductive carbon framework CMK-3. This constrains the dissolution of the embedded H(2)bhnq. The results imply that the nanoconfinement with the pores of inorganic materials such as CMK-3 to fill organic active materials is important to improve the electrochemical performance of lithium-ion batteries.