Germanium anode with lithiated-copper-oxide nanorods as an electronic-conductor for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

• CuO nanorod network was prepared by a high-efficiency and scalable method.
• Amorphous Ge was used as anode of Li-ion batteries for high power applications.
• The Ge anode shows excellent rate capability and superior cyclability at high rates.
• The CuO nanorod network could act as an electronic-conductor for many other anodes.

Lithiated-CuO nanorods were used as a nanostructured electronic-conductor of the current-collector for Ge anode to improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries. By limiting the voltage cut-off window in a range which could avoid the discharge–charge plateaus of CuO after the initial discharge, the lithiated-CuO nanorods can act as an electronic-conductor. The obtained Ge anode exhibits an excellent rate capability and superior cyclability. At a current-density of 1 A/g, the anode presents a capacity retention of above 95% even after 100 cycles. The anode also presents a stable rate performance even at a current-density as high as 10 A/g. The enhanced performance can be mainly ascribed to the lithiated-CuO nanorods which could result in a nanocable structure that offers short electron/lithium-ion transport path, enough buffering space for the huge volume change of Ge coating and excellent electrical contact between the Ge coating and the current-collector.