Investigation of Borophene Synthesized via a Scalable Approach as an Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Abstract

Borophene is considered as a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries due to its high specific capacity and low diffusion barrier. However, practical applications exploring borophene as an anode material remain very limited. In this study, the anode performance of borophene synthesized via a scalable electrochemical exfoliation method, was investigated in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The obtained borophene sample was structurally characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The electrochemical performance of the anode was evaluated by assembling CR2032 type coin cell. Galvanostatic charge/discharge tests showed that the initial discharge capacity of the borophene anode was 387 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C, which only dropped to 371 mAh g⁻1 after 10 cycles, exhibiting 95.8% capacity retention rate. These results indicate that borophene holds a substantial potential as an anode material for lithium-ion battery applications.