Nanoarchitectured Co3O4/reduced graphene oxide as anode material for lithium-ion batteries with enhanced cycling stability

In this paper, we report on the synthesis of a nanoarchitectured Co3O4/reduced graphene oxide (Co3O4/rGO) composite by a one-pot method. The results of X-ray diffraction and HRTEM demonstrate that the pristine Co3O4 and Co3O4/rGO powder composites consist of a nanostructured powder with high crystallinity and the nanoarchitectured Co3O4 was completely coated by the rGO. As an anode for lithium-ion batteries, the nanocomposite exhibits improved electrochemical properties, with an initial capacity of 1298 mAh g−1 at a rate of 0.1 C, and excellent cyclability up to 200 cycles at a rate of 1 C compared with the pristine Co3O4. These results can be attributed to the higher specific surface area, lower interface transfer resistance, and fast reaction kinetics of the composite electrode.