Construction of hollow Co3O4 cubes as a high-performance anode for lithium ion batteries

We report on hollow Co3O4 cubes synthesized via a self-sacrificing template method and their application as an anode material for reversible electrochemical lithium storage. The hollow Co3O4 cube with a porous hierarchical structure increases the contact surface, shortens the diffusion path of ion/electron, and improves its structure stability and collaborative electronic transmission. Due to their ultrathin subunits and hollow interior, the electrodes exhibit excellent electrochemical performance. Impressively, a high discharge specific capacity of 1600 mA h g(-1) is obtained at 400 mA g(-1) after 100 cycles. And a reversible specific capacity of 1032 mA h g(-1) could still be maintained even at 1000 mA g(-1) after 150 cycles. This implies the remarkable potential as an anode for lithium ion batteries. Thus, the hollow Co3O4 cube might give insights into transition-metal oxides as energy storage materials.