Citation: Jingjie Liu, Qilin Zhong, Yue Cao, Junhao Wang, Li Yang, Jichao Wang, Huijuan Han, Chen Li, Li Qu, Guangri Xu, Fujun Liu, Peng Yang. Tuning oriented mesocrystalline assembly of NiCo₂O₄ via substrate interface engineering for enhanced lithium storage stability[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(1): 111660. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111660 shu

Tuning oriented mesocrystalline assembly of NiCo₂O₄ via substrate interface engineering for enhanced lithium storage stability

Jingjie Liu ^a ,
Qilin Zhong ^a ,
Yue Cao ^a ,
Junhao Wang ^a ,
Li Yang ^a ,
Jichao Wang ^a ,
Huijuan Han ^a ,
Chen Li ^a ,
Li Qu ^a ,
Guangri Xu ^{a, *,} ,
Fujun Liu ^{b, *,} ,
Peng Yang ^{c, *,}

a.
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453000, China
b.
Nanophotonics and Biophotonics Key Laboratory of Jilin Province, School of Physics, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130022, China
c.
Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China

xugr70@163.com

fjliu@cust.edu.cn

yangpeng@snnu.edu.cn

Received Date: 30 May 2025
Revised Date: 27 July 2025
Accepted Date: 30 July 2025
Available Online: 5 August 2025

Figures(5)

Structural instability and sluggish lithium-ion (Li⁺) kinetics of spinel NiCo₂O₄ anodes severely hinder their applications in high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries. Mesocrystalline structures exhibit promising potential in balancing structural stability and enhancing reaction kinetics. However, their controlled synthesis mechanisms remain elusive. Herein, a substrate interface engineering strategy is developed to achieve controllable synthesis of mesocrystalline and polycrystalline NiCo₂O₄ nanorods. Remarkably, mesocrystalline NiCo₂O₄ exhibits a high capacity retention rate of 85.7% after 500 cycles at 2 A/g, attributed to its porous structure facilitating Li⁺ transport kinetics and unique stress-buffering effect validated by ex-situ TEM. Theoretical calculations and interfacial chemical analysis reveal that substrate-crystal surface engineering regulates the nucleation-growth pathways: Acid-treated nickel foam enables epitaxial growth via lattice matching, acting as a low-interfacial-energy template to reduce nucleation barriers and promote low-temperature oriented crystallization. In contrast, carbon cloth requires high-temperature thermal activation to overcome surface diffusion barriers induced by elevated interfacial energy. This substrate-driven crystallization kinetic modulation overcomes the limitations of random nucleation in conventional hydrothermal synthesis. The established substrate-crystal interfacial interaction model not only clarifies the kinetic essence of crystal orientation regulation but also provides a universal theoretical framework for lattice-matching design and mesostructural optimization of advanced electrode materials.
- Mesocrystalline nanorods,
- Polycrystalline nanorods,
- Substrate-driven,
- Lithium storage,
- NiCo₂O₄
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沈阳化工大学材料科学与工程学院沈阳 110142

Tuning oriented mesocrystalline assembly of NiCo2O4 via substrate interface engineering for enhanced lithium storage stability

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通讯作者: 陈斌, bchen63@163.com

Tuning oriented mesocrystalline assembly of NiCo₂O₄ via substrate interface engineering for enhanced lithium storage stability