Cu2O nanowires as anode materials for Li-ion rechargeable batteries

Li-ion batteries are a key technology for multiple clean energy applications. In this study, Cu2O nanowires were obtained by the reduction of cupric acetate with pyrrole. The resulting Cu2O nanowires exhibited excellent reversible capacities of 470 mAh g−1 at rate of 1 C after 100 cycles. The results show that the Cu2O nanowires had more capacity than materials previously reported. No fading was observed over 100 cycles of charging and discharging. The compound metal Cu and incorporation of the conducting polymer polypyrrole (PPy) improved the conductivity of Cu2O and enhanced the stability of the electrode during cycling. The results from this study imply that Cu2O nanowires with high capacity and good cycle retention could be excellent candidates as anode materials for Li-ion rechargeable batteries.