Highly efficient Co₃O₄/CeO₂ heterostructure as anode for lithium-ion batteries

Co₃O₄ has been extensively studied as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of its high theoretical capacity. However, during the charging-discharging processes, the issues of large volume change and low electric conductivity arise, which significantly limit the practical applications of Co₃O₄. To solve these issues, a Co₃O₄/CeO₂ heterostructure derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) was designed and synthesized through one-step microwave synthesis. Benefiting from the mesoporous structure and presence of hetero-components, Co₃O₄/CeO₂ having the molar ratio of Co/Ce = 5:1 (denoted as 5Co₃O₄/CeO₂) exhibits high reversible capacity and excellent cycling stability when used as an anode material for LIBs. Specifically, compared to a single-phase Co₃O₄ anode, which shows a capacity of 538.6 mAh/g after 100 cycles, 5Co₃O₄/CeO₂ exhibits a higher capacity (1131.2 mAh/g at 100 mA/g). This study provides a novel strategy for using rare earth components to modify electrode materials.