Molten Salt Approach for Co3O4 Synthesis as a Charge Storage Electrode

Abstract

A versatile molten salt method was targeted to fabricate the cobalt oxide (Co3O4) nanospheres as charge storage electrodes. The Co3O4 nanospheres were prepared in KNO3 molten salt in only one step within 5 minutes. The nanospheres were with an average size distribution of almost 80-130 nm. The specific capacitance of cobalt oxide was found to be 285 F/g at 10 mV/s and 171 F/g at 0.5 A /g in 6 M KOH and the Trasatti method was used to understand the outer and inner surface capacitive contributions. The material possessed a moderate rate capability (63.1% at 5 A/g) and had good cyclic stability (90.5% after 1200 cycles). This experimental study does not require any solvent usage and thus can provide a green and continuous approach for the preparation of various transition metal oxides with good electrochemical properties in the energy storage field.