Germanium nanoparticle-dispersed reduced graphene oxide balls synthesized by spray pyrolysis for Li-ion battery anode

Simple fabrication of a powdered Ge−reduced graphene oxide (Ge-rGO) composite via spray pyrolysis and reduction is introduced herein. Successful incorporation of the rGO nanosheets with Ge hindered the aggregation of Ge and conferred enhanced structural stability to the composite by alleviating the mechanical stress associated with drastic volume changes during repeated cycling. The Li-ion storage performance of Ge−rGO was compared with that of powdered Ge metal. The reversible discharge capacity of Ge−rGO at the 200 ^th cycle was 748 mA h g ⁻¹ at a current density of 1.0 A g ⁻¹ and Ge−rGO showed a capacity of 375 mA h g ⁻¹ even at a high current density of 5.0 A g ⁻¹ . The excellent performance of Ge−rGO is attributed to the structural robustness, enhanced electrical conductivity, and formation of open channels between the rGO nanosheets, which facilitated electrolyte penetration for improved Li-ion diffusion.