Densification by Compaction as an Effective Low-Cost Method to Attain a High Areal Lithium Storage Capacity in a CNT@Co3O4 Sponge

Achieving a high areal capacity is essential for the transfer of outstanding laboratory electrode results to commercial applications and also to ensure there exists a capacity matched cathode and anode for a properly tuned battery. Despite intensive efforts, most electrode materials exhibit areal capacities lower than that of the graphite anodes (4 mA h cm(-2)). An effective and low-cost approach is reported to attain a high areal capacity via an intense densification by compacting a porous carbon nanotube sponge grafted with Co3O4 nanoparticles. The hybrid sponge can be compacted to a large degree (up to a tenfold densification) while still keeping its structural integrity and the 3D porous network. This method allows achieving a mass loading of up -to 14.3 mg cm(-2) and an areal capacity of 12 mA h cm(-2) (at a current density of 200 mA g(-1)) together with a gravimetric capacity of >800 mA h g(-1). This densification by compaction approach offers an effective and low-cost strategy to develop high mass loading and areal capacity electrodes for practical energy storage systems.