An in-situ integration strategy for high-capacity, long-life CuO anodes of Li-ion battery

Copper oxide (CuO) has attracted considerable interest as a promising anode material for Li-ion batteries due to its high theoretical capacity. However, its practical application is hindered by large volume changes, low inferior conductivity, and poor cycling stability. In this study, we develop a binder-free and additive-free in-situ integrated strategy to directly integrate CuO onto current collectors, thereby achieving 100% active material utilization and significantly improved electrochemical performance. The resulting anode delivers a remarkable capacity retention of 660.0 mAh·g⁻¹ after 1300 cycles, accompanied by the stabilization of an octahedral CuO morphology upon charge–discharge cycles. Crucially, the in-situ formed cubic Cu₂O serves as a structural intermediary between cubic Cu and monoclinic CuO, enhancing mechanical stability and facilitating Li⁺ transport. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further reveal that Cu⁺-induced oxygen vacancies effectively promote electron conduction, provide additional sites for Li storage, leading to enhanced lithiation capacity.