title: h-BN Nanosheets as 2D Substrates to Load 0D Fe3O4 Nanoparticles: A Hybrid Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries.
abstract: h-BN, as an isoelectronic analogue of graphene, has improved thermal mechanical properties. Moreover, the liquid-phase production of h-BN is greener since harmful oxidants/reductants are unnecessary. Here we report a novel hybrid architecture by employing h-BN nanosheets as 2D substrates to load 0D Fe3O4 nanoparticles, followed by phenol/formol carbonization to form a carbon coating. The resulting carbon-encapsulated h-BN@Fe3O4 hybrid architecture exhibits synergistic interactions: 1) The h-BN nanosheets act as flexible 2D substrates to accommodate the volume change of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles; 2) The Fe3O4 nanoparticles serve as active materials to contribute to a high specific capacity; and 3) The carbon coating not only protects the hybrid architecture from deformation but also keeps the whole electrode highly conductive. The synergistic interactions translate into significantly enhanced electrochemical performances, laying a basis for the development of superior hybrid anode materials.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials (MOE), Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Qiang
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials (MOE), Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China. liu-yt03@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn.|State Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement Technology and Instruments, Department of Precision Instrument, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China. liu-yt03@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yi-Tao
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials (MOE), Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China. xxm-dce@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xu-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement Technology and Instruments, Department of Precision Instrument, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
authors.forename: Xiong-Ying
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China. zxd9863@163.com.
authors.forename: Xiao-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Zhu
keywords: Fe3O4 nanoparticles; anode materials; h-BN nanosheets; hybrid architecture; lithium-ion batteries