MOF-Templated Synthesis of Co3O4@TiO2 Hollow Dodecahedrons for High-Storage-Density Lithium-Ion Batteries

Co3O4 nanostructures have been extensively studied as anode materials for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of their stability and high energy density. However, several drawbacks including low electrical transport and severe volume changes over a long period of operation have limited their utilities in LIBs. Rational composite design is becoming an attractive strategy to improve the performance and stability of potential lithium-ion-battery anode materials. Here, a simple method for synthesizing hollow Co3O4@TiO2 nanostructures using metal–organic frameworks as sacrificial templates is reported. Being used as an anode material for LIBs, the resulting composite exhibits remarkable cycling performance (1057 mAh g–1 at 100 mA g–1 after 100 cycles) and good rate performance. The optimized amorphous Co3O4@TiO2 hollow dodecahedron shows a significant improvement in electrochemical performance and shows a wide prospect as an advanced anode material for LIBs in the future.