A Facile Method for Synthesis of Porous NiCo2O4 Nanorods as a High-Performance Anode Material for Li-Ion Batteries

Porous electrode materials with large specific surface area, relatively short diffusion path, and higher electrical conductivity, which display both better rate capabilities and good cycle lives, have huge benefits for practical applications in lithium-ion batteries. Here, uniform porous NiCo2O4 nanorods (PNNs) with pore-size distribution in the range of 10-30 nm and lengths of up to several micrometers are synthesized through a convenient oxalate co-precipitation method followed by a calcining process. The PNN electrode exhibits high reversible capacity and outstanding cycling stability (after 150 cycles still maintain about 650 mA h g(-1) at a current density of 100 mA g(-1)), as well as high Coulombic efficiency (> 98%). Moreover, the PNNs also exhibit an excellent rate performance, and deliver a stable reversible specific capacity of 450 mA h g(-1) even at 2000 mA g(-1). These results demonstrate that the PNNs are promising anode materials for high-performance Li-ion batteries.