Cu-Dispersed Cobalt Oxides as High Volumetric Capacity Anode Materials for Li-ion Storage

Abstract The widely adopted approach of hybridizing transition metal oxides (TMOs) with carbon materials can successfully recover the performance of TMOs for Li-ion storage. Though, the introduction of carbon may significantly reduce tap density, leading to a low volumetric capacity. Herein, copper was utilized to disperse and stabilize cobalt oxides to attain higher volumetric capacity. Thanks to the highly electronic conductive Cu-network and the designed Li-ion diffusion pore structure, the composite exhibits enormously high capacity and exceptional rate performance as anode materials for Li-ion battery. After 250 cycles at 0.1 ​A ​g−1, the specific volumetric capacity can still be maintained at 2174.2 ​mA ​h ​cm−3 (1402.7 ​mA ​h ​g−1), even higher than that of Li metal (2061 ​mA ​h ​cm−3). We hope this new design criteria could further open opportunities in exploration and advance the practical application of TMOs.