Spongy Co₃O₄ Wrapped Flexible Carbon Cloth by Electrodeposition as an Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Herein, electrodeposition and subsequent oxidation were used to successfully construct a spongy flexible Co₃O₄/carbon cloth electrode with a controlled structure. It can deliver an efficient electron/ion transport network, ease Co₃O₄ volume expansion, and permit superior kinetics with a higher capacitive contribution; moreover, the preparation of Co₃O₄/carbon cloth by electrodeposition does not require a binder, making it highly conductive, and the Co₃O₄/carbon cloth also has high flexibility and can withstand multiple bending. This Co₃O₄/CC composite electrode, as expected, provides a high capacity of 708 mAh g⁻¹ at a current density of 0.5 A g⁻¹ after 200 cycles, and it has lower impedance (56.08 Ω). After 300 times of bending, its capacity is stable at 682 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.5 A g⁻¹ after 200 cycles, which is 96% of that before bending.