MWCNTs/Co3O4/carbon foam composite anodes for current collector-free lithium-ion batteries with high performance

Abstract

As a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), Co3O4 has attracted extensive research efforts in the past years. Up to date, the practical application of Co3O4 anodes is still hindered by the severe volume expansion during the cycling process and moderate electrical conductivity. To address these issues, in the present work, we designed and fabricated a multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/Co3O4/carbon foam composite, using the synergistic effect of carbon foam and MWCNTs to alleviate the volume expansion of Co3O4 and enhance the electrical conductivity of Co3O4. The results showed that carbon foam and MWCNTs exhibited a significant enhancement effect on the electrochemical performance of pristine Co3O4. After 200 cycles, the MWCNTs/Co3O4/carbon foam composite delivered a discharge capacity of 480.4 mAhg−1 at 0.5 Ag−1, which was much higher than the pristine Co3O4 (53.9 mAhg−1). Moreover, the MWCNTs/Co3O4/carbon foam composite also exhibited good rate capability and cycling stability.