Facile synthesis of porous hollow Co3O4 microfibers derived-from metal-organic frameworks as an advanced anode for lithium ion batteries

Abstract

Abstract Co 3 O 4 , as a promising anode material for the next generation lithium ion batteries to replace graphite, displays high theoretical capacity (890 mAh g −1 ) and excellent electrochemical properties. However, the drawbacks of its poor cycle performance caused by large volume changes during charge-discharge process and low initial coulombic efficiency due to large irreversible reaction impede its practical application. Herein, we have developed a porous hollow Co 3 O 4 microfiber with 500 nm diameter and 60 nm wall thickness synthesized via a facile chemical precipitation method with subsequent thermal decomposition. As an advanced anode for lithium ion batteries, the porous hollow Co 3 O 4 microfibers deliver an obviously enhanced electrochemical property in terms of lithium storage capacity (1177.4 mA h g −1 at 100 mA g −1 ), initial coulombic efficiency (82.9%) and cycle performance (76.6% capacity retention at 200th cycle). This enhancement could be attributed to the well-designed microstructure of porous hollow Co 3 O 4 microfibers, which could increase the contact surface area between electrolyte and active materials and accommodate the volume variations via additional void space during cycling.