Facile synthesis of Co3O4 by molten salt method and its Li-storage performance

We synthesized Co 3 O 4 compounds using different molten salts such as LiNO 3 :LiOH, LiNO 3 :LiCl, NaNO 3 :KNO 3 , KCl and studied their morphology and Li-storage properties. Eleven samples were prepared at various temperatures ranging from 180 °C to 710 °C and evaluated the effect of different Co-salts such as Co-sulphate, Co-acetate and Co-hydroxide on crystal growth and Li-storage performance. The obtained Co 3 O 4 powders were characterized by a variety of techniques. Li-storage performance studies on Co 3 O 4 prepared by different Co-salts show reversible capacity values in the range, 778 to 1090 mA h g −1 at a current rate of 60 mA g −1 and at the end of the 40th cycle. Among the effects of preparation temperature, Co 3 O 4 prepared at 510 °C showed the best combination of capacity and sustainability. Co 3 O 4 prepared from different cobalt sources among Co-sulphate delivered the highest and most stable capacity with the smallest fading. We report the growth, reaction mechanism and storage performance of different Co 3 O 4 . Co 3 O 4 material was prepared using different molten salts, in the temperature range, 180-710 °C and its Li-storage properties were studied.