title: Can the performance of graphene nanosheets for lithium storage in Li-ion batteries be predicted?
abstract: Graphene nanosheets (GNS) were prepared from graphitic oxide (GO) in two different ways: (a) thermal exfoliation at different temperatures; and (b) wet chemistry, using aqueous N(2)H(4) and KBH(4) as reducing agents. Irrespective of the synthetic method used, the materials exhibited a high irreversible capacity and strong polarization in their charge curves, when used in a Li-ion battery. The GNS synthesized with N(2)H(4) exhibited the best performance. Thus, at 149 mA g(-1) the average specific capacity delivered was ca. 600 mA h g(-1) after 100 cycles. On the other hand, the worst performance, irrespective of rate, was that of GNS synthesized with KBH(4) and the thermal GNS obtained at 800 °C. The physical and chemical analyses allowed various parameters to be derived for correlation with the electrochemical properties. Unfortunately, no clear-cut correlation was apparent. A comparison with reported data revealed that no correlation appears to exist with physical and chemical properties that allows a simple strategy for tailoring an effective graphene anode to be designed.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Inorgánica e Ingeniería Química, Universidad de Córdoba, Edificio Marie Curie, Campus de Rabanales, 14071 Córdoba, Spain.
authors.forename: Oscar A Vargas
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: C
authors.forename: Álvaro
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Caballero
authors.forename: Julián
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morales
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D004735:Energy Transfer; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D007477:Ions; D008094:Lithium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010316:Particle Size; D013223:Statistics as Topic
chemical_list: D007477:Ions; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D006108:Graphite; D008094:Lithium