Formation of N-Doped Carbon-Coated ZnO/ZnCo2O4/CuCo2O4 Derived from a Polymetallic Metal-Organic Framework: Toward High-Rate and Long-Cycle-Life Lithium Storage

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are very promising self-sacrificing templates for the large-scale fabrication of new functional materials owing to their versatile functionalities and tunable porosities. Most conventional metal oxide electrodes derived from MOFs are limited by the low abundance of incorporated metal elements. This study reports a new strategy for the synthesis of multicomponent active metal oxides by the pyrolysis of polymetallic MOF precursors. A hollow N-doped carbon-coated ZnO/ZnCo2O4/CuCo2O4 nanohybrid is prepared by the thermal annealing of a polymetallic MOF with ammonium bicarbonate as a pore-forming agent. This is the first report on the rational design and preparation of a hybrid composed of three active metal oxide components originating from MOF precursors. Interestingly, as a lithium-ion battery anode, the developed electrode delivers a reversible capacity of 1742 mAh g(-1) after 500 cycles at a current density of 0.3 mA g(-1). Furthermore, the material shows large storage capacities (1009 and 667 mAh g(-1)), even at high current flow (3 and 10 A g(-1)). The remarkable high-rate capability and outstanding long-life cycling stability of the multidoped metal oxide benefits from the carbon-coated integrated nanostructure with a hollow interior and the three active metal oxide components.