Tailoring NiO Nanostructured Arrays by Sulfate Anions for Sodium-Ion Batteries

Yingmeng Zhang; Yew Von Lim; Shaozhuan Huang; Mei Er Pam; Ye Wang; Lay Kee Ang; Yumeng Shi; Hui Ying Yang

doi:10.1002/smll.201800898

Tailoring NiO Nanostructured Arrays by Sulfate Anions for Sodium-Ion Batteries

Small. 2018 Jul;14(28):e1800898. doi: 10.1002/smll.201800898. Epub 2018 Jun 7.

Authors

Yingmeng Zhang^{1

2}, Yew Von Lim², Shaozhuan Huang², Mei Er Pam², Ye Wang², Lay Kee Ang², Yumeng Shi^{1

2}, Hui Ying Yang²

Affiliations

¹ International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D Materials for Optoelectronic Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Engineering Technology Research Center for 2D Material Information Function Devices and Systems of Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
² Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, Singapore, 487372, Singapore.

PMID: 29882239
DOI: 10.1002/smll.201800898

Abstract

In this contribution, a novel sulfate-ion-controlled synthesis is developed to fabricate freestanding nickel hydroxide nanoarrays on Ni substrate. As an inorganic morphology-controlled agent, SO₄^2- ions play a critical role in controlling the crystal growth and the nanoarray morphologies, by modulating the growth rate of adsorbed crystal facets or inserting into the metal hydroxide interlayers. By controlling the SO₄^2- concentration, the nanostructured arrays are tailored from one-dimensional (1D) Ni(SO₄ )_0.3 (OH)_1.4 nanobelt arrays to hierarchical β-Ni(OH)₂ nanosheet arrays. With further graphene oxide modification and postheat treatment, the obtained NiO/graphene hybrid nanoarrays show great potential for high-performance sodium-ion batteries, which exhibit a cyclability of 380 mAh g^-1 after undergoing 100 cycles at 0.5 C and reach a rate capability of 335 mA h g^-1 at 10 C.

Keywords: morphology control; nanostructured arrays; nickel oxide; sodium-ion batteries; sulfate ions.