Hierarchically porous Zn-Co-O NCs-in-carbon hollow microspheres with high rate-capacity and cycle stability as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Na-citrate as surfactants is effectively adopted to mediate the growth of Zn-Co-EG into hollow microspheres, which are then transformed by annealing in N2 at 450 °C into porous Zn-Co-O/C hollow microspheres with Zn-Co-O NCs confined-in-carbon microstructures and extremely high rate capacity and cycling stability as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.236