Cobalt silicate hierarchical hollow spheres for lithium-ion batteries

In this paper, the synthesis of cobalt silicate novel hierarchical hollow spheres via a facile hydrothermal method is presented. With a unique hollow structure, the Co₂SiO₄ provides a large surface area, which can shorten the lithium ions diffusion length and effectively accommodate the volumetic variation during the lithiation/de-lithiation process. Serving as an anode material in lithium-ion battery application, the Co₂SiO₄ electrode demonstrates a high reversible specific capacity (first-cycle charge capacity of 948.6 mAh g^-1 at 100 mA g^-1), a cycling durability (specific capacity of 791.4 mAh g^-1 after 100 cycles at 100 mA g^-1), and a good rate capability (specific capacity of 349.4 mAh g^-1 at 10 A g^-1). The results indicate that the cobalt silicate hierarchical hollow sphere holds the potential applications in energy storage electrodes.