Low-temperature synthesis of edge-rich graphene paper for high-performance aluminum batteries

Abstract Aluminum (Al) based rechargeable batteries offer the possibilities of safety, high energy density and low cost. Graphene with excellent mechanical properties and high electronic conductivity contributes to the excellent long-term cycle stability and superior rate performance, rendering it an attractive cathode material for Al batteries. However, the synthesis process of the high quality graphene, which is high energy consumption and complex, is not appropriate for the mass application of Al batteries. In this work, we presented a cost-effective and low-temperature (600 °C) synthesis of edge-rich graphene paper for the cathode of Al batteries. The edge-rich and interconnected design of graphene could effectively improve its performance in Al batteries. A reversible capacity as high as 128 mA h g−1 was achieved at 2000 mA g−1. It also displayed a superior cycling stability, displaying no capacity decay and a Coulombic efficiency higher than 99.2% after 20,000 cycles at even a high current density of 8000 mA g−1. Significantly, this novel cathode material would present a new opportunity for the practical application of Al batteries.