Development of new electrode materials for lithium ion batteries and lithium oxygen batteries

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have been widely used as the power sources for a wide range of portable electronic devices, such as cell phones, laptops, and digital cameras, since their first commercialization in the 1990s. In recent years, enormous ongoing efforts have been made to develop the next generation of LIBs, which feature thinner, smaller sizes, lighter weight, flexibility, higher capacity and rate capability, and longer cycle life. Advanced electrode materials are the key to realizing this goal. High performance anode materials are the key to one of the most important components in LIBs, and they thus have attracted much research attention. In this thesis, nanosized materials, including freestanding germanium (Ge) and single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) composites, as well as lead germanate/graphene nanosheet (PbGeO3/GNS) composites, were prepared and characterized for possible applications as anode materials for LIBs.