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

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.