Graphitic Carbon Quantum Dots Modified Nickel Cobalt Sulfide as Cathode Materials for Alkaline Aqueous Batteries

• DOI: 10.1007/s40820-019-0355-0
• Publication Date: 2020-01-04T02:02:56Z
• Authors: Yirong Zhu; Jingying Li; Xiaoru Yun; Ganggang Zhao; Peng Ge; Guoqiang Zou; Yong Liu; Hongshuai Hou; Xiaobo Ji
• Keywords: Technology; Energy storage; T; Carbon quantum dot; Alkaline aqueous batteries; 7. Clean energy; 01 natural sciences; Article; Nickel cobalt sulfide; 0104 chemical sciences

AbstractCarbon quantum dots (CQDs) as a new class of emerging materials have gradually drawn researchers’ concern in recent years. In this work, the graphitic CQDs are prepared through a scalable approach, achieving a high yield with more than 50%. The obtained CQDs are further used as structure-directing and conductive agents to synthesize novel N,S-CQDs/NiCo2S4 composite cathode materials, manifesting the enhanced electrochemical properties resulted from the synergistic effect of highly conductive N,S-codoped CQDs offering fast electronic transport and unique micro-/nanostructured NiCo2S4 microspheres with Faradaic redox characteristic contributing large capacity. Moreover, the nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-rGO)/Fe2O3 composite anode materials exhibit ultrahigh specific capacity as well as significantly improved rate property and cycle performance originating from the high-capacity prism-like Fe2O3 hexahedrons tightly wrapped by highly conductive N-rGO. A novel alkaline aqueous battery assembled by these materials displays a specific energy (50.2 Wh kg−1), ultrahigh specific power (9.7 kW kg−1) and excellent cycling performance with 91.5% of capacity retention at 3 A g−1 for 5000 cycles. The present research offers a valuable guidance for the exploitation of advanced energy storage devices by the rational design and selection of battery/capacitive composite materials.