Microwave-assisted rapid synthesis of mesoporous nanostructured ZnCo2O4 anode materials for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

Cobalt-based oxides have attracted much attention due to their extensive application in energy storage. In this work, a microwave-assisted second-level rapid synthesis method is developed to prepare ZnCo₂O₄ anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Mesoporous rose-like nanostructured ZnCo₂O₄ is obtained by heat hydrolysis of a (Zn,Co)-organic hybrid precursor obtained by a rapid microwave-assisted solvothermal route. Systematic investigation on optimization of synthesis conditions is conducted to understand the synthesis-controlled process. Requisite characterization is carried out on the obtained ZnCo₂O₄ by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and N₂ adsorption–desorption. As an anode material, the mesoporous rose-like ZnCo₂O₄ exhibits high capacity and excellent cyclability, which can be ascribed to the easy penetration of electrolytes into the inner part of active materials through numerous pores, stable microstructure, and alleviated volume expansion induced by the porous structure during the Li⁺ insertion/extraction process.