Bimetal-Organic Framework derived from ZIF-67 as anodes for high performance lithium-ion batteries

Highlights: • Bimetal-Organic Framework exhibiting a well-defined morphology of rhombic dodecahedron has been synthesized. • The composite exhibiting bimetallic active sites, large surface area and conductive carbon frameworks could be produced based on pyrolysis. • The produced materials displayed excellent durability, rate capability and greater specific capacity when employed in LIBs. Zeolitic imidazole frameworks (ZIFs) create broad platforms to study electrochemical energy storage for their numerous advantages (e.g., their high surface area, hierarchical porous structures and flexibility templates). In the present study, metal-coordinated ZIF-derived Bimetal-Organic Framework exhibiting a well-defined morphology of rhombic dodecahedron was facilely synthesized through the addition of a certain molar ratio Ni²⁺ or Mg²⁺ when ZIF-67 was being grown. Via pyrolysis, the bimetallic composite materials, i.e., NiCo₂O₄@C and MgCo₂O₄@C were produced, exhibiting bimetallic active sites, large surface area and conductive carbon frameworks. When acting as the anode materials in lithium-ion batteries, the produced composite materials displayed excellent durability and greater specific capacity. The mentioned excellent electrochemical performances were contributed to by the stable carbon frameworks because of their greater electronic conductivity and higher electrochemical activity. Moreover, the present study presented novel ideas to synthesize the identical type of MOFs materials and can broaden their applications.