The Korean Society of Surface Science and Engineering

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its high theoretical capacity (~987 mAh/g) but suffers from poor electrical conductivity and structural degradation. To address these issues, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were directly grown on the surface of ZnO particles using a rotary chemical vapor deposition (RCVD) system. By varying the growth temperature and time, the quantity and crystallinity of the CNTs were effectively controlled. SEM and TGA analyses revealed a decrease in CNT quantity with increasing CVD temperature, while Raman spectroscopy indicated enhanced crystallinity of the CNTs. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and differential capacity (dQ/dV) analyses confirmed that the CNTs enhance interfacial charge transfer and structural reversibility. Our results demonstrate that direct growth of CNTs on ZnO via RCVD system offers a rational and scalable strategy to improve the electrochemical performance of ZnO-based anodes.

Keywords Zinc oxide; Carbon nanotubes; Rotary CVD; Lithium-ion battery; Electrochemical performance.