Hollow irregular octahedra-like NiCo2O4 cages composed of mesoporous nanosheets as a superior anode material for lithium-ion batteries

Hollow irregular octahedra-like NiCo2O4 cages composed of mesoporous nanosheets have been prepared by a facile template-assisted strategy under the auxiliary action of hydroxypropyl cellulose. As an anode material for lithium ion batteries, such a hierarchical hollow nanostructure can greatly alleviate volume change and effectively shorten lithium ion diffusion distance, as a result, it exhibits superior lithium ion storage performance with excellent cyclability and great rate capability. A reversible charge capacity of 903 mAh g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 is obtained in the first cycle, and 85.3% of the 2nd discharge capacity is retained after 300 cycles at 0.5 A g−1. After tested at various current densities from 0.2 to 1.4 A g−1, the reversible capacity can recover to 885 mAh g−1 at 0.2 A g−1. These results suggest a promising application for advanced energy storage units.