title: Enhanced electrochemical performance by unfolding a few wings of graphene nanoribbons of multiwalled carbon nanotubes as an anode material for Li ion battery applications.
abstract: The present work provides an incredible route towards achieving the ideal Li ion battery anode material with high specific capacity and rate capability as a result of unraveling a few upper layers of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) as graphene nanoribbons attached to the core MWNT. These partially exfoliated nanotubes when used as an anode material show an 880 mA h g(-1) capacity at a 100 mA g(-1) current density and high rate capability by delivering a stable 157 mA h g(-1) capacity at a current density of 10 A g(-1). The enhanced performance of this anode material can be attributed to the synergistic effect of the homogeneous distribution of the hybrid carbon nanostructure of 1-D multiwalled carbon nanotubes and 2-D graphene nanoribbons. This configuration provides a large available surface area, high electrical conductivity and a high number of defect sites, leading to improved Li intercalation with a better transfer rate compared to only graphene, multiwalled carbon nanotubes or other reported combinations of the two.
authors.affiliation: Alternative Energy and Nanotechnology Laboratory (AENL), Nano-Functional Materials and Technology Centre (NFMTC), Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600036, India. ramp@iitm.ac.in.
authors.forename: Madhumita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sahoo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramaprabhu