Carbon dioxide-expanded ethanol-assisted synthesis of carbon-based metal composites and their catalytic and electrochemical performance in lithium-ion batteries

Highly dispersed metals, metal oxides and their composites on substrates have received considerable interest in catalysis and lithium-ion batteries, because of their superior properties compared with their single-component counterparts. In this review, we introduce the properties of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) expanded ethanol, such as low viscosity, near-zero surface tension and high diffusivity. We discuss the deposition procedure and formation mechanism of carbon-based composites in scCO2-expanded ethanol. This method has been used to fabricate several carbon-based composites, such as metal and metal oxide composites deposited on zero-dimensional colloidal carbon, one-dimensional carbon nanotubes, two-dimensional graphene, and three-dimensional hierarchical porous carbon. These materials and their performance as anodic materials for lithium-ion batteries will also be reviewed.

Graphical AbstractThe recent advances in supercritical CO2-expanded ethanol assisted deposition of metal (oxide) nanoparticles on different dimensional carbon materials are reviewed. The catalytic and electrochemical performances of the prepared functional composites are introduced.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide