ZnO‐Based Conversion/Alloying Negative Electrodes for Lithium‐Ion Batteries: Impact of Mixing Intimacy

Conversion/alloying materials, such as transition metal (TM)-doped ZnO, are showing superior performance over pure ZnO due to the presence of TM, enabling reversible formation Li2O enhanced electronic conductivity within single particle once being reduced metallic state upon lithiation. Herein, impact introducing Co representative TM at atomic level in compared with mixtures nano- and microsized CoO is investigated. While even rather simple provide higher capacities than an intimate mixing nanoparticulate leads a further increase more homogeneous dispersion Co. Nonetheless, “atomic mixing” via doping still provides highest capacities—for both microparticles, thus highlighting importance very fine distribution (and generally TM) for realizing effective electron conduction pathways enable Li2O.