Monodisperse sandwich-like coupled quasi-graphene sheets encapsulating Ni2P nanoparticles for enhanced lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

In this report, sandwiched Ni2P nanoparticles encapsulated by graphene sheets are first synthesized by directly encapsulating functional units in graphene sheets instead of fabricating separate graphene sheets and then immobilizing the functional components onto the generated surfaces. In this strategy, we use low-cost, sustainable and environmentally friendly glucose as a carbon source and NiNH4PO4.H2O nanosheets as sacrificial templates. This unique structure obtained here cannot only prevent the nanoparticles from aggregation or loss but also enhance the electronic conductivity compared to the independent nanoparticles. Furthermore, the novel sandwich-like Ni2P/C can be applied in plenty of fields, especially in electrical energy storage. In this paper, a series of electrochemical tests of the sandwich-like Ni2P/C are carried out, which demonstrate the excellent cyclic stability and rate capacity for lithium-ion batteries. Get to grips with graphene! A unique structure with sandwich-like Ni2P nanoparticles encapsulated by coupled graphene sheets is introduced for the first time through a universal strategy, using glucose as a green carbon source, and NiNH4PO4.H2O nanosheets as a precursor and sacrificial template. This advanced nanomaterial has the potential to be applied to many fields, such as specific catalysis, optoelectronics and biotechnology (see figure).