Based on Cu as framework constructed nanoporous CuO/Cu composites by a dealloy method for sodium-ion battery anode

Nanoporous CuO/Cu composites with a continuous channel structure were fabricated through a corroding Cu-Al alloy process. The width of the continuous channels was about 20~50 nm. Nanoporous structure could effectively sustain the volume expansion during the Na+ insertion/extraction process and shorten the Na+ diffusion length as well, which thus helps improve the Na+ storage performance. Moreover, the nanoporous structure can improve the contact area between the electrolyte and the electrode, leading to an increment in the number of Na+ insertion/extraction sites. When used as the anode for sodium-ion batteries, the CuO/Cu exhibited an initial capacity of ~ 580 mAh g−1, and the capacity is maintained at ~ 200 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at a current density of 500 mA g−1.