Preparation of Co3O4/nitrogen-doped carbon composite by in situ solvothermal with ionic liquid and its electrochemical performance as lithium-ion battery anode

In this work, the Co 3 O 4 /nitrogen-doped carbon (Co 3 O 4 /NDC) composite was prepared by in situ solvothermal method using ionic liquid as carbon and nitrogen sources. The Co 3 O 4 /NDC composite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and electrochemical testing. The HRTEM results show that there is a thin layer of amorphous carbon film on the surface of Co 3 O 4 particles, which can improve the conductivity of Co 3 O 4 and inhibit the fragmentation of material caused by volume expansion. When the Co 3 O 4 /NDC composite is used as the anode material of lithium-ion batteries, the reversible capacity is 1056 mAh g −1 after 50 cycles at 0.1 C. The superior electrochemical performance can be attributed to the synergistic effect of amorphous carbon film, nitrogen doping, and Co 3 O 4 particles.