Porous Zn₂GeO₄ nanowires with uniform carbon-buffer layer for lithium-ion battery anodes with long cycle life

Germanium-based multimetallic-oxide materials have attracted significant attention as high-capacity anodes for next generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, they suffer from poor cyclic stability due to extreme volume expansion and reduced electrical conductivity after repeated cycles. To circumvent these issues, we propose that Ge-based multimetallic-oxide nanowires can be synthesized with electrically conductive carbon to significantly enhance the cyclic stability of the Ge-based anodes. We prepare conformal-carbon-coated Zn₂GeO₄ nanowires (NWs) using a microwave-induced hydrothermal method with subsequent thermal decomposition. The obtained carbon-coated Zn₂GeO₄-NW anode exhibits a discharge capacity of 485 mAh/g and a Coulombic efficiency (CE) of 98.4% after 900 cycles at 0.6 C. Furthermore, these anodes exhibit outstanding rate-capability characteristics, even with an increased C-rate of 17.7 C. This excellent electrochemical performance can be ascribed to the improved electron and ion transport provided and the structurally reinforced conductive layer comprising a conformal carbon layer. Therefore, it is expected that our approach can also be applied to other multimetallic-oxide materials, resulting in large, reversible capacities; excellent cyclic stabilities; and good rate capabilities for high-performance LIBs.