Porous Co3O4 nanoparticles derived from a Co(ii)-cyclohexanehexacarboxylate metal–organic framework and used in a supercapacitor with good cycling stability

Abstract

Porous cobalt oxide materials have received great interest in recent years due to their potential application to supercapacitors. In this work, porous Co₃O₄ nanoparticles were prepared by the thermolysis of a Co(II)-based [Co₃(cis-chhc)(H₂O)₆]_n (cis-H₆chhc = 1,2,3,4,5,6-cyclohexane-hexacarboxylic acid) metal–organic framework. Cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge–discharge measurements were carried out to characterize the electrochemical performance of Co₃O₄ in a 2.0 M KOH electrolyte. The results demonstrate that the as-synthesized Co₃O₄ can be applied as a supercapacitor electrode. The porous Co₃O₄ electrode exhibits a specific capacitance of 148 F g⁻¹ at a current density of 1 A g⁻¹, and displays slightly enhanced capacitance after 2500 continuous charge–discharge cycles. This remarkable electrochemical performance suggests that the as-prepared porous Co₃O₄ material is potentially promising for applications in energy storage.