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A graphene inspired electrode material that could help batteries hold more power has been developed by Chinese scientists. The large surface area of these cobalt oxide nanosheets is key to their electrochemical performance.
Batteries are a cornerstone of modern life with most smartphones and laptops using rechargeable lithium ion batteries. As technology advances, the search is on for batteries that can pack more energy into the same space.
Graphitic electrodes are commonly used in lithium ion batteries but suffer from low theoretical capacity. A viable alternative is to use metal oxides which have significantly higher theoretical capacities but in practice are limited by their inability to hold more lithium ions. Recently nanostructures have been developed that can hold more lithium ions but the swelling and shrinking from charge–discharge cycles damages the electrode and greatly reduces its capacity, a problem known as pulverisation.
Read the full article in Chemistry World!
Topochemical Transformation Route to Atomically-thick Co3O4 Nanosheets Realizing Enhanced Lithium Storage Performance
Jinbao Zhu, Liangfei Bai, Yongfu Sun, Xiaodong Zhang, Qiuyang Li, Boxiao Cao, Wensheng Yan and Yi Xie
Nanoscale, 2013, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/C3NR01178J
