Preparation and electrochemical performance of foam-like CeO2 nanofoam as negative electrode material for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

Oxides of transition metal oxides have been discovered as candidate anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to their extraordinary specific capacity. Moreover, to improve the electrochemical performance of energy-storage devices, the use of porous electrode materials is considered one of the most effective strategies. Herein, we report highly porous cerium oxide (CeO2) nanofoam synthesized using a facile and simple solution combustion technique (SCT). In this technique, we use two different fuels to synthesis CeO2. The prepared S-CeO2 nanofoam delivers the highest specific surface area of 142.99 m2 g-1 with a highly enhanced contact area between the electrolyte and electrode. The prepared S-CeO2-based anode offers an initial specific capacity of 1154 mAh g-1 at 100 mA g-1, which is three times higher than that of carbon-based materials. Additionally, the mesoporous S-CeO2 nanofoam exhibits good rate capability at high current densities. These attractive results suggest that S-CeO2 has great potential for use in high-performance LIB applications.