Facile synthesis of Ge/C nanocomposite as superior battery anode material

Germanium (Ge) is a high capacity anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), but still suffers from poor cyclability and stability due to the huge volume change during lithium-ion intake/remove process. In this work, we present a synthetic method for preparing Ge/C nanocomposite through annealing the precursors GeO2 and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in Ar/H2 atmospheres. The as-synthesized Ge/C nanocomposite delivers a reversible specific capacity of 530 mAh/g after 100 cycles at a current density of 200 mA/g, and a high rate capability due to its composite structure. The excellent electrochemical performance can be attributed to the carbon layers structure, which not only provides the room for accommodation of volume expansion, but also enhances the electronic conductivity of the electrode. Such Ge/C nanocomposite are promising as a potential anode material for LIBs.