Synthesis and electrochemical properties of Co3O4 nanofibers as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Abstract Co3O4 nanofibers as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries were prepared from sol precursors by using electrospinning. The morphology, structure and electrochemical properties of Co3O4 nanofibers were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and charge–discharge experiments. The results show that Co3O4 nanofibers possessed typical spinel structure with average diameter of 200 nm. The initial capacity of Co3O4 nanofibers was 1336 mAhg− 1 and the capacity reached 604 mAhg− 1 up to 40 cycles. It was suggested that the high reversible capacity could be ascribed to the high surface area offered by the nanofibers' structure.