C₆₀(OH)₁₂ and Its Nanocomposite\nfor High-Performance Lithium Storage

Abstract

Organic\ncarbon materials, such as graphene and nanotubes, with\na high specific capacity show promise in improving the energy density\nfor lithium ion batteries (LiBs). Here, we report on the synthesis\nand characterization of C₆₀(OH)₁₂ and the C₆₀(OH)₁₂/graphene oxide (GO) composite and demonstrate\ntheir use as anode materials in LiBs. We find that the C₆₀(OH)₁₂/GO composite forms due to the chemical reactions\nbetween the carboxyl and epoxy groups of GO and the hydroxyl of C₆₀(OH)₁₂ nanoparticles and that C₆₀(OH)₁₂ uniformly grows on the surface of GO nanosheets. Using a\nsuite of spectroscopy probes, we unequivocally show the mixing between\nC₆₀(OH)₁₂ and GO at the molecular level, which\nleads to superior battery performances. This composite has a reversible\ncapacity of 1596 mAh g^–1 at 0.2 A g^–1, higher than the capacities of C₆₀(OH)₁₂ and\nGO. This composite has a superior cycling stability and excellent\nrate performance, making it a promising organic anode material for\nhigh-performance LiBs.