Controllable Synthesis of Mesoporous Peapod-like Co3O4@Carbon Nanotube Arrays for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries.
Transition metal oxides are regarded as promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries because of their high theoretical capacities compared with commercial graphite. Unfortunately, the implementation of such novel anodes is hampered by their large volume changes during the Li(+) insertion and extraction process and their low electric conductivities. Herein, we report a specifically designed anode architecture to overcome such problems, that is, mesoporous peapod-like Co3O4@carbon nanotube arrays, which are constructed through a controllable nanocasting process. Co3O4 nanoparticles are confined exclusively in the intratubular pores of the nanotube arrays. The pores between the nanotubes are open, and thus render the Co3O4 nanoparticles accessible for effective electrolyte diffusion. Moreover, the carbon nanotubes act as a conductive network. As a result, the peapod-like Co3O4 @carbon nanotube electrode shows a high specific capacity, excellent rate capacity, and very good cycling performance.
Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr (Germany).
Dong
D
Gu
Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (P. R. China).
Wei
W
Li
Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (P. R. China).
Fei
F
Wang
Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr (Germany).
Hans
H
Bongard
Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr (Germany).
Bernd
B
Spliethoff
Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr (Germany).
Wolfgang
W
Schmidt
Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr (Germany).
Claudia
C
Weidenthaler
Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (P. R. China).
Yongyao
Y
Xia
Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shanghai Key Lab of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (P. R. China). dyzhao@fudan.edu.cn.
Dongyuan
D
Zhao
Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr (Germany). schueth@mpi-muelheim.mpg.de.
Ferdi
F
Schüth
Co3O4/carbon nanocomposite; lithium ion batteries; mesoporous materials; template syntheses