Electrochemical performance of MWCNT reinforced ZnO anodes for Li-ion batteries

•MWCNT based buckypapers were produced via vacuum filtration.•ZnO/buckypapers were then produced via thermal evaporation followed by an in situ plasma oxidation.•MWCNT/ZnO nanocomposites revealed a capacity of 527mAhg−1 up to 100 cycles. Carbon nanotube thin sheets – buckypapers – were prepared from multi-walled carbon nanotubes oxidized with different oxidizing agents. ZnO thin films were then coated onto buckypapers via thermal evaporation techniques followed by an in situ plasma oxidation. SEM imaging showed that the ZnO films were uniformly coated on the surface of the MWCNT based buckypapers. ZnO/MWCNT nanocomposites were used as the active anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, showing improved cyclability when compared with the literature data. The reversible capacities were as high as 380mAhg−1, 522mAhg−1 and 527mAhg−1 after 100th cycles for the films oxidized 1:3, 1:2 and 1:1 (Ar:O2) partial gas pressures. The improvement in the electrochemical characteristics was attributed to the nano-scale dimension and high dispersion of the metal oxide particles and the conductivity and ductility of the CNTs matrix.