CoMoO4/Fe2O3 core-shell nanorods with high lithium-storage performance as the anode of lithium-ion battery

•New material. CoMoO4/Fe2O3 core-shell nanorods are firstly synthesized.•High performance. Both the capacity and cyclability are very high.•New mechanism. The mechanism is based on the complex synergistic effect.•Potential application. The nanocomposites are promising candidates for Li battery.

CoMoO4/Fe2O3 core-shell nanorods are synthesized by a two-step hydrothermal method, and Fe2O3 nanoparticles as shell are uniformly distributed on the whole surface of CoMoO4 nanorods. The core-shell nanorods as the anode of lithium-ion battery exhibit high reversible capacity of 1354 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C rate (5 h per half cycle), which is higher than that of bare CoMoO4 nanorods. The discharge capacity can still maintain at 1335 mAh g−1 (after 50 cycles) and 1236 mAh g−1 (after 100 cycles). The capacity retention between 2nd and 50th cycles is up to 98.6%. The superior lithium-storage performance can be owned to the stable crystal structure, good electrical conductivity and complex synergistic effect between CoMoO4 and Fe2O3. The present results indicate that CoMoO4/Fe2O3 core-shell nanorods are promising candidates for the anode of lithium-ion battery.

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