NiCoO₂ nanosheets grown on nitrogen-doped porous carbon sphere as a high-performance anode material for lithium-ion batteries

NiCoO₂ nanosheets grown on nitrogen-doped porous carbon spheres (NiCoO₂@N-PCs) have been synthesized via a facile approach using gelatin nanospheres (GNSs) as the template, carbon and nitrogen sources. Due to the synergistic effect between the NiCoO₂ nanosheets and N-PCs, the NiCoO₂@N-PCs composite exhibits an ultrahigh discharge capacity of 978 mAh g⁻¹ at a current density of 200 mA g⁻¹ with minimal capacity loss even after 80 cycles. The superior properties of NiCoO₂@N-PCs illustrate that amorphous carbon matrix could significantly improve the electrochemical performance of high-capacity metal oxide anode nanomaterials. Findings from this study suggest that these GNSs may be used to synthesize functional metal oxides, including MnO₂, Fe₂O₃, CoO and NiO@N-PCs nanostructures.