Co₃O₄/CuO Hybrid Hollow Microspheres as Long-Cycle-Life Lithium-Ion Battery Anode

Co₃O₄/CuO hybrid hollow microspheres have been successfully prepared via thermal decomposition of CoCu glycolates, whose size can be adjusted by varying the molar ratio of Co²⁺/Cu²⁺. As lithium-ion battery (LIB) anode, Co₃O₄/CuO microspheres exhibited excellent electrochemical performance due to synergistic effects and the hollow structural design, the best Co₃O₄/CuO sample could maintain a high specific capacity of 1170.4 mAh g^-1 after 300 cycles at 1 A g^-1, and still retain a capacity of 514.5 mAh g^-1 after 1000 cycles at 2 A g^-1. Thus obtained Co₃O₄/CuO hybrid hollow microspheres hold great potential as anode materials for high-performance LIBs.