In situ construction T-Nb2O5 nanolayer on porous carbon cloth as Binder-Free anode for Lithium-Ion battery with long cycle life

• The free-standing electrode (PCC@Nb 2 O 5 ) consisting of the network-structured Nb 2 O 5 layer and porous carbon cloth (PCC). • The PCC enhances the bonding between the Nb 2 O 5 layer and the substrate, while also reducing the mass of the free-standing electrode. • The network-structure Nb 2 O 5 layer is helpful for the formation of the conductive network. • As an anode for LIBs , PCC@Nb 2 O 5 exhibits excellent long cycle life and multiplier performance. Metastable orthorhombic niobium pentoxide (T-Nb 2 O 5 ) with fast lithium storage capability and safe operating voltage is recognized as suitable anode material for high power density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). While, the T-Nb 2 O 5 also suffers from low electrical conductivity in practical applications. In this work, the electrochemical performance of T-Nb 2 O 5 is enhanced by constructing a free-standing electrode and introducing the N-doped carbon substrate. The free-standing electrode consisting of the network-structured Nb 2 O 5 layer and porous carbon cloth (PCC) avoids the use of binders and benefits the electron transport. In addition, the introduction of N-doped carbon substrate is also beneficial to enhance the electronic conductivity of the Nb 2 O 5 . When used as the anode for LIBs , the PCC@Nb 2 O 5 demonstrates excellent long cycle life and rate performance, with a specific capacity of over 150 mA h g −1 after 3200 cycles at a current density of 1000 mA g −1 . This strategy of constructing free-standing electrodes provides new options for obtaining high-performance Nb 2 O 5 anode electrodes.