Facile synthesis of mesoporous ZnCo2O4 coated with polypyrrole as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries

Although many research efforts have been devoted to improving the electrochemical performance of ZnCo2O4, there is still a great need for a facile, low cost and time-saving method to synthesize ZnCo2O4. Herein, we first report a facile method to prepare mesoporous ZnCo2O4 with polypyrrole (PPy) coating (ZnCo2O4/PPy). The facile strategy involves a reflux method and a subsequent chemical polymerization method. The mesoporous ZnCo2O4/PPy shows an outstanding electrochemical performance. The discharge capacity of the ZnCo2O4/PPy is 615 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 0.1 A g−1. When the current density increases to 0.2 A g−1, the discharge capacity still retains 458 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles. The improved electrochemical performance is attributed to the coating of PPy layer, which acts as a conductive agent and buffer during charge/discharge. Our results demonstrate that the ZnCo2O4/PPy has potential as a high-energy anode material for lithium-ion batteries.