Citrate-assisted fabrication of flowery β-Co(OH)2 architectures with improved electrochemical properties

Flowery architectures of β-Co(OH)2 were fabricated in large scale by a simple co-precipitation method. The synthetic process involved the reaction between CoII salt and sodium hydroxide with citrate as complexant. Thus-prepared β-Co(OH)2 flowers consisted of nanosheets with a high aspect ratio above 500. Investigations on the formation process indicated that the citrate complexant, alkaline concentration and temperature played important roles for the formation of the special flowery nanostructures. Electrochemical capacitance of the β-Co(OH)2 flowers in alkali battery at different discharge currents was tested, revealing their prospective application as electrode materials.