Nanocomposite Li-ion battery anodes consisting of multiwalled carbon nanotubes that anchor CoO nanoparticles

•Synthesis of MWCNT/CoO nanoparticle electrodes via electrophoretic and chemical vapor deposition processes.•Electrochemical evaluation of the MWCNT/CoO nanoparticle electrodes for Li-ion battery electrodes.•Beneficial effect of MWCNT network for the superior electrochemical performances of nanocomposite electrodes.

Nanocomposite electrodes of cobalt (II) oxide nanoparticles (CoO NPs)/multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were fabricated by a two-step process consisting of electrophoretic deposition followed by chemical vapor deposition. Results of the electrochemical analysis demonstrate that the CoO NP-bearing MWCNT electrodes could deliver reversible charge capacities of 600 and 550 mA h g−1 after 50 and 100 cycles, respectively, at the rate of 715 mA g−1. The superior cyclability is attributed to the unique self-supported one-dimensional structure of the MWCNTs and the uniformly dispersed CoO NPs that constitute these nanocomposite electrodes.

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