Controllable synthesis of CNT@ZnO composites with enhanced electrochemical properties for lithium-ion battery

Abstract The design and synthesis of anode materials with novel structures are one of crucial issues for developing next-generation lithium-ion battery. In this work, carbon nanotube@zinc oxide (CNT@ZnO) composites are synthesized by a liquid-phase method using CNTs as a conductive support. The design of CNT@ZnO composites combines the advantages of both ZnO nanoparticles and CNTs. The optimized CNT@ZnO composite exhibits the superior cycling and rate performance. It could deliver a discharge capacity of 709.2 mAh g −1 at 100 mA g −1 after 50 cycles. The electrochemical results indicate that the as-synthesized CNT@ZnO composite is superior in enhancing the electrochemical performance of ZnO-based anode materials.