Size-Controlled Synthesis of Copper Oxide Particles on Reduced Graphene Oxide for Lithium-Ion Battery Anode Applications

Copper oxide/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) hybrids have been successfully synthesized by attaching copper ions onto the functional groups of GO by means of a solution process, which causes precipitation and agglomeration of copper oxides during subsequent thermal reduction of the GO. The resulting copper oxide/rGO hybrid exhibited improved electrochemical performance compared to monolithic CuO, which is presumed to be due to rGO acting as a mechanical support that buffers the volume change in copper oxides that occurs as a result of the conversion reaction during charge/discharge cycling. Furthermore, it was found that the size of the copper oxide particles can be optimized by adjusting the annealing time, with a hybrid annealed for 30 min achieving a reversible capacity of 544 mA h g(-1) and an initial coulombic efficiency of 62.7%.