Controlled synthesis of nickel carbide nanoparticles and their application in lithium storage

Abstract Herein, nickel carbide (Ni3C) nanoparticles were controlled synthesized by decomposing nickel acetylacetonate in oleylamine and oleic acid solvent at a comparatively low temperature of 280 °C. The resultant Ni3C nanoparticles with an average size of 18 nm exhibited large specific surface area and excellent electrical conductivity. And the charge transport during the Li+ intercalation and deintercalation processes can be effectively facilitated by this kind of unique structure. Serving as an anode material in lithium-ion batteries, the Ni3C nanoparticles presented a high stable specific capacity of 390.1 mAh g−1 during 100 cycles at a current density of 0.1 A g−1 and excellent rate performance (e.g. 152.1 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1). This phenomenon attributed to the advantages of the high intrinsic electrical conductivity and chemical stability of Ni3C. The effective nanostructure of transition metal carbides provides a promising approach to synthesis stable electrode materials for energy and environmental related applications.