Highly loaded CoO/graphene nanocomposites as lithium-ion anodes with superior reversible capacity

This paper reports a facile approach for the synthesis of highly loaded CoO/graphene nanocomposites in an oil-phase solution with Co(acac)(3) as the cobalt precursor. Based on a thermal decomposition process, octahedral CoO nanocrystals (NCs) with a high density were homogeneously anchored onto the graphene nanosheets. These as-prepared graphene based nanocomposites with a high loading of CoO NCs exhibited superior electrochemical properties as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, including a large reversible capacity, excellent cyclic performance, and high rate capability. Their robust composite structures, large quantity of accessible active sites, and synergistic effects between CoO NCs and graphene may be responsible for the substantially enhanced performance.