Fabrication and electrochemical behavior of flower-like ZnO–CoO–C nanowall arrays as anodes for lithium-ion batteries

► Flower-like ZnO–CoO–C nanowall arrays were fabricated through solution-immersion steps and subsequent calcinations. ► The arrays exhibited high capacity and rate capability as anodes of lithium-ion batteries. ► The catalytic effect of Co phase on the decomposition of Li 2O mainly account for the high capacity. ► The conducting carbon layer formed on ZnO nanowalls is responsible for the high rate capability. This study reported the electrochemical performance of flower-like ZnO–CoO–C nanowall arrays as anodes of lithium-ion batteries. The arrays were fabricated through solution-immersion steps and subsequent calcination at 400 °C. At a rate of 0.5 C, the arrays exhibited a delithiation capacity of 438 mA h g −1 at the 50th cycle. The arrays still delivered a reversible capacity of 224 mA h g −1 at 2.0 C rate, much higher than those of the flower-like ZnO and ZnO–C nanowall arrays. The mechanism for the high capacity of flower-like ZnO–CoO–C nanowall arrays mainly resulted from the catalytic effect of Co phase on the decomposition of Li 2O and the conducting carbon layer formed on ZnO nanowalls. The present finding also provides a kind of nanostructured films that might be applied in solar cells and sensors, etc.