We report the synthesis of a novel shuttle-like Fe3O4–Co3O4 self-assembling architecture through a facile hydrothermal method. The composite manifests quite excellent electrochemical performance as anodes of Li-ion batteries. It delivers a high reversible capacity of ∼1013 mA h g−1 at 100 mA g−1 after 100 cycles (∼1246 mA h g−1 at 0.5 A g−1, 864 mA h g−1 at 1 A g−1 and 625 mA h g−1 at 2 A g−1 after 50 cycles). The rate performance is also outstanding with a reversible capacity of 660 mA h g−1 even at 5 A g−1 and a capacity retention of 94% after 78 cycles. The synergetic effect of Co3O4 and Fe3O4, as well as the unique self-assembling architecture, may be responsible for the large enhanced electrochemical performance.
Metal-organic compounds have attracted significant attention for lithium-ion battery (LIB) anodes. However, their practical application is severely hindered by the poor structural stability and sluggish Li + reaction kinetics. Herein, we proposed a new type of metal–organic compound, metal alkoxides, for high-performance LIBs. A series of metal-alkoxide/graphene composites with different transition metal centers and alkoxide anions are prepared to investigate the structural stability, Li-storage ability, and Li + diffusion kinetics. The results reveal that the metal centers and alkoxide anions have significant influence on the structural stability, molar mass, and electronic structures, which are highly related to the Li-storage performance. Among them, Co-EG/rGO (EG represents the ethylene glycol anion) delivers the best performance involving high specific capacity (975 mAh g −1 at 0.2 A g −1 ), excellent rate capability (400.8 mAh g −1 at 10 A g −1 ), and stable cycling performance (86.8 % capacity retention after 600 cycles) due to its stable structure, smaller molar mass, and favorable electronic structure. Moreover, the Li-storage mechanism and solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) evolution of the Co-EG/rGO electrode are studied in detail through multiple ex-situ/in-situ characterizations. This work provides a new type of metal alkoxide anode material for high-rate and long-life LIBs toward practical energy applications.