Porous carbon-coated CuCo2O4 concave polyhedrons derived from metal–organic frameworks as anodes for lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

Porous carbon-coated CuCo₂O₄ concave polyhedra were successfully prepared with the assistance of a metal–organic framework (MOF). In this work, the MOF not only played a role as a template to form the polyhedra, but also provided a carbon matrix to coat CuCo₂O₄ under the high temperature pyrolysis of a zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) (one kind of MOF). The porous carbon-coated CuCo₂O₄ concave polyhedra delivered a superior capacity. This good property can be attributed to the following reasons. Firstly, a good framework was provided by the MOF to form the porous polyhedron structures, which showed a large specific surface area, enhancing the contact between the electrode and electrolyte. Secondly, the carbon layer coated on the CuCo₂O₄ concave polyhedra could accommodate the volume change during the process of lithiation–delithiation and further enhance the conductivity of the electrode. The synthesis process of porous CuCo₂O₄ concave polyhedra proves that the approach has a promising application for the anode materials of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), catalysis, energy fields, etc.