Facile synthesis of LiCoO2 nanowires with high electrochemical performance

Abstract

Cobalt precursor Co(CO3)0.35Cl0.2(OH)1.1 nanowire bunches have been synthesized by a hydrothermal method and transformed into Co3O4 nanowires by calcination at 500 °C for 3 h. The Co3O4 nanowires were then mixed with LiOH and formed the LiCoO2 nanowires by calcination at 750 °C. High resolution transmission electron microscopy revealed that the LiCoO2 nanowires were composed of nanoparticles with most of the nanoparticles having exposed (010) planes. The electrochemical performance of the LiCoO2 nanowires was thoroughly investigated by galvanostatic tests. The as-prepared LiCoO2 nanowires exhibited excellent rate capability and satisfactory cycle stability, where the charge and discharge capacity still stabilized at 100 mA·h/g at a rate of 1000 mA/g after 100 cycles. The favorable electrochemical performance of the LiCoO2 nanowires may result from their one-dimensional nanostructure and the exposure of (010) planes, since the (010) plane is electrochemically active for layered LiCoO2 with the α-NaFeO2 structure and favors fast Li+ transportation.