Quick one-pot synthesis of amorphous carbon-coated cobalt–ferrite twin elliptical frustums for enhanced lithium storage capability

Abstract

Hybrid carbon-coated transition metal oxides (TMOs@C) offer enhanced lithium storage capabilities, but the facile formation of TMOs@C nanocomposites remains a great challenge. Herein, we report a novel hierarchical hybrid nanostructure of carbon-coated CoFe₂O₄ twin elliptical frustums (CoFe₂O₄@C TEFs) via a quick one-pot refluxing reaction in ethylene glycol (EG) followed by an annealing treatment. When evaluated as an anode in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the resultant CoFe₂O₄@C TEF hybrids demonstrate good electrochemical performance with high reversible specific capacity, excellent rate capability and super-long life cycle. After 600 cycles at a current density of 500 mA g⁻¹, the resultant TEFs still deliver a stable reversible discharge capacity of 875 mA h g⁻¹. This work demonstrates the extensive potential of such simple synthetic methods towards various carbon coated transition metal oxide composites for energy conversion and storage devices.