Facile synthesis of Co3O4 by molten salt method and its Li-storage performance

We synthesized Co3O4 compounds using different molten salts such as LiNO3:LiOH, LiNO3: LiCl, NaNO3: KNO3, KCl and studied their morphology and Li-storage properties. Eleven samples were prepared at various temperatures ranging from 180 degrees C to 710 degrees C and evaluated the effect of different Co-salts such as Co-sulphate, Co-acetate and Co-hydroxide on crystal growth and Li-storage performance. The obtained Co3O4 powders were characterized by a variety of techniques. Li-storage performance studies on Co3O4 prepared by different Co-salts show reversible capacity values in the range, 778 to 1090 mA h g(-1) at a current rate of 60 mA g(-1) and at the end of the 40th cycle. Among the effects of preparation temperature, Co3O4 prepared at 510 degrees C showed the best combination of capacity and sustainability. Co3O4 prepared from different cobalt sources among Co-sulphate delivered the highest and most stable capacity with the smallest fading. We report the growth, reaction mechanism and storage performance of different Co3O4.