Electrospun mesoporous lead oxide nanofibers as anode material for Li-ion batteries

Abstract

Our investigation into synthesizing one-dimensional (1-D) mesoporous lead monoxide (PbO) nanofibers and their application as an anode material in lithium-ion batteries holds considerable practical significance. The PbO nanofibers were synthesized via electrospinning and subsequent calcination. We meticulously examined their properties using several techniques, including XRD, BET surface area analysis, FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy, FE-SEM, TEM, and EDX. The XRD measurements validate the presence of a pure orthorhombic PbO phase, whereas the FTIR and Raman spectroscopy results suggest a structurally coordinated PbO sample. The PbO nanofibers possess a BET-specific surface area of 61.23 m² g⁻¹, and FE-SEM and TEM images indicate that their diameter ranges from 90 to 150 nm. The electrical conductivity of the PbO nanofiber sample at 423 K is 3.38 × 10⁻⁶ S/cm. Subsequently, we evaluated the PbO nanofibers as an anode material in half-coin CR-2032 lithium batteries and performed electrochemical assessments. The initial discharge capacity of the PbO nanofiber was 1270 mAh g⁻¹. After 50 charge - discharge cycles, the PbO nanofibers exhibit a capacity of 372 mAh g⁻¹ as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, indicating their viability for practical applications.