Hierarchically ordered mesoporous Co(3)O(4) materials for high performance Li-ion batteries

Highly ordered mesoporous Co(3)O(4) materials have been prepared via a nanocasting route with three-dimensional KIT-6 and two-dimensional SBA-15 ordered mesoporous silicas as templates and Co(NO(3))(2) · 6H(2)O as precursor. Through changing the hydrothermal treating temperature of the silica template, ordered mesoporous Co(3)O(4) materials with hierarchical structures have been developed. The larger pores around 10 nm provide an efficient transport for Li ions, while the smaller pores between 3–5 nm offer large electrochemically active areas. Electrochemical impedance analysis proves that the hierarchical structure contributes to a lower charge transfer resistance in the mesoporous Co(3)O(4) electrode than the mono-sized structure. High reversible capacities around 1141 mAh g(−1) of the hierarchically mesoporous Co(3)O(4) materials are obtained, implying their potential applications for high performance Li-ion batteries.