Controlling Morphologies and Tuning the Properties of Co3O4 with Enhanced Lithium Storage Properties

Designing particles with a unique structure to accommodate volume variations on cycling is an effective strategy to improve the electrochemical performance of metal oxide anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Here, dandelion-like Co3O4 was prepared by a hydrothermal method following heat treatment. In a similar preparation method, by adding a structural modifier, i.e., sodium citrate, the dandelion-like Co3O4 could be transformed into multi-shelled hollow Co3O4 microspheres. These two different Co3O4 morphologies show different electrochemical behaviors as anode materials for LIBs. The multi-shelled hollow Co3O4 exhibited the better electrochemical performance. At a current density of 200 mA g(-1), the reversible capacity after 200 cycles reached 1132 mAh g(-1). Even at a very high current density, i.e., 1000 mA g(-1), the reversible capacity was as high as 936 mAh g(-1) after 300 cycles. Such an excellent electrochemical performance is mainly attributed to the multi-shelled hollow structure that can alleviate the volume variation during lithiation/delithiation; this further helps enhance the structural and cycling stability. It also proves that the electrochemical performance of the material can be enhanced by morphological modification.