Template-free synthesis of amorphous double-shelled zinc-cobalt citrate hollow microspheres and their transformation to crystalline ZnCo2O4 microspheres

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2013 Jun 26;5(12):5508-17. doi: 10.1021/am400696x. Epub 2013 Jun 11.

Abstract

A novel and facile approach was developed for the fabrication of amorphous double-shelled zinc-cobalt citrate hollow microspheres and crystalline double-shelled ZnCo2O4 hollow microspheres. In this approach, amorphous double-shelled zinc-cobalt citrate hollow microspheres were prepared through a simple route and with an aging process at 70 °C. The combining inward and outward Ostwald ripening processes are adopted to account for the formation of these double-shelled architectures. The double-shelled ZnCo2O4 hollow microspheres can be prepared via the perfect morphology inheritance of the double-shelled zinc-cobalt citrate hollow microspheres, by calcination at 500 °C for 2 h. The resultant double-shelled ZnCo2O4 hollow microspheres manifest a large reversible capacity, superior cycling stability, and good rate capability.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Citrates / chemistry
  • Cobalt / chemistry*
  • Electrodes
  • Microscopy, Electron
  • Microspheres*
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry
  • Oxides / chemistry*
  • X-Ray Diffraction
  • Zinc / chemistry*

Substances

  • Citrates
  • Oxides
  • Cobalt
  • Zinc
  • cobalt oxide