Mesoporous Cr2O3/MWCNTs/PANI nanocomposite as a high performance anode material for rechargeable lithium ion batteries

Chromium oxide (Cr2O3) has been considered as a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, it is accompanied by a large volumetric expansion which compromises battery performance by damaging internal structure of the material. In this study, dual modification is achieved by developing Cr2O3 nanocomposite with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by inexpensive and reproducible coprecipitation method which reduces volume changes by enhancing electronic conductivity and mechanical strength. Meanwhile, polyaniline (PANI) coating was employed by in-situ polymerization of aniline monomer that promotes lithium-ion conductivity and facilitates high electron transportation, thus resulting in excellent stability. This research mainly signifies the effect of PANI coating, where PANI offers conductive contact between active material and electrolyte. The homogenous nanocomposite of Cr2O3-MWCNTs and PANI exhibit good electrochemical performance. A discharge capacity of Cr2O3-MWCNTs(12%)-PANI is found to be 815 mAh g-1 at 100 mA g-1 with coulombic efficiency of 97.5 %. Moreover, the nanocomposite exhibits good rate capability and cyclic stability.