Synthesis of hybrid carbon nanofiber-graphene nanosheet materials with different morphologies and comparison of their performance as anodes for lithium-ion batteries

Hybrid carbon nanofiber-graphene nanosheet (CNF-GN) materials with different morphologies were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition using ethyne (C2H2) as the carbon source and Ni as a catalyst. By adjusting the C2H2 flow rate, hybrid materials with different CNF diameters and CNF/GN weight ratios were prepared. The cycling performance and rate capability of the products as electrodes for lithium-ion batteries were investigated and compared. We found that not all of the CNF-GN anodes we synthesized exhibited better lithium storage properties than a GN electrode. Only materials with a relatively smaller CNF diameter and a lower CNF/GN weight ratio in GN-supported CNF architectures achieved high performance for reversible lithium storage. The reasons for the differences in electrochemical performance of our CNF-GN electrodes are explained.