Preparation of Co3O4/nitrogen-doped carbon composite by in situ solvothermal with ionic liquid and its electrochemical performance as lithium-ion battery anode

In this work, the Co3O4/nitrogen-doped carbon (Co3O4/NDC) composite was prepared by in situ solvothermal method using ionic liquid as carbon and nitrogen sources. The Co3O4/NDC composite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and electrochemical testing. The HRTEM results show that there is a thin layer of amorphous carbon film on the surface of Co3O4 particles, which can improve the conductivity of Co3O4 and inhibit the fragmentation of material caused by volume expansion. When the Co3O4/NDC composite is used as the anode material of lithium-ion batteries, the reversible capacity is 1056mAhg(-1) after 50 cycles at 0.1 C. The superior electrochemical performance can be attributed to the synergistic effect of amorphous carbon film, nitrogen doping, and Co3O4 particles.