Synthesis and investigation of thermoelectric and electrochemical properties of porous Ca9Co12O28 nanowires

We describe a general synthesis method to prepare porous complex metal cobaltate nanowires from the thermal decomposition of a metal oxalate precursor at a much lower temperature than that employed in conventional solid-state techniques. Using Ca9Co12O28 as an example, we investigate its thermoelectric properties at a high temperature and electrochemical properties as a potential anode material for lithium ion batteries.