Amorphous Zn2GeO4 nanoparticles as anodes with high reversible capacity and long cycling life for Li-ion batteries

Amorphous and crystalline Zn2GeO4 nanoparticles were prepared and characterized as anode materials for Li-ion batteries. A higher reversible specific capacity of 1250 mAh/g after 500 cycles and excellent rate capability were obtained for amorphous Zn2GeO4 nanoparticles, compared to that of crystalline Zn2GeO4 nanoparticles. Small particle size, amorphous phase and incorporation of zinc and oxygen contribute synergetically to the improved performance by effectively mitigating the huge volume variations during lithiation and delithiation process.

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► Amorphous Zn2GeO4 nanoparticles have been investigated as lithium-ion anode.
► They exhibit improved electrochemical performance than that of the crystalline counterparts.
► Amorphous Zn2GeO4 nanoparticles have a reversible capacity of 1250 mAh/g after 500 cycles.
► A capacity 470 mAh/g is obtained at a high current density of 6.4 A/g for the Zn2GeO4 nanoparticles.