Design and synthesis of one-dimensional Co3O4/Co3V2O8 hybrid nanowires with improved Li-storage properties

A new nanostructure of one-dimensional Co3O4/Co3V2O8 hybrid nanowires directly grown on Ti substrates with improved electrochemical Li-storage properties are successfully prepared by a simple hydrothermal strategy. The nanocomposites consist of the primary Co3O4 nanowires acting as the “core” and secondary Co3V2O8 nanocrystals as the “shell” layer, which form one-dimensional tentacle-like nanostructure. When used as potential anodes for lithium ion batteries, the Co3O4/Co3V2O8 hybrid nanowires exhibited an enhanced capacity with high initial discharge capacity of 1677 mA h g−1 at 200 mA g−1 and retained at 1251 mA h g−1 after 200 cycles. Even when the current reached 5000 mA g−1 the electrode can still maintain an average discharge capacity of 807 mA h g−1. The enhanced electrochemical performances are attributed to unique hybrid nanowire architecture and an improved synergistic effect of two electrochemically component, ranking the hybrid nanostructure as a promising electrode material for high-performance energy storage systems.