Small Co3O4/waste pinecone–derived activated porous carbon as anode materials of lithium-ion batteries

Herein, a new activated porous carbon (APC) was proposed by carbonizing waste biomass of pinecone which could be obtained in large quantities and subsequently activation of zinc chloride. Then small Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles were loaded on the surface and holes of APC to prepare the final Co 3 O 4 /APC nanocomposites. The as-prepared APC had a lotus root-like and layered porous structure with a large number of mesopores and micropores. The APC reduced the agglomeration of small Co 3 O 4 particles which were uniformly anchored on the surface of APC. When applied for the anode of lithium-ion batteries, the Co 3 O 4/ APC nanocomposites had a reversible capacity of 625 mAh g −1 after 200 cycles at the current density of 500 mA g −1 . The Co 3 O 4/ APC nanocomposites also had a good rate performance. Above all, this work could transform waste biomass into sustainable resource, and the raw materials were easy to obtain in large quantities.