Hydrothermal Synthesis of Unique Hollow Hexagonal Prismatic Pencils of Co3V2O8⋅ n H2O: A New Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Hollow structures of transition-metal oxides, particularly mixed-metal oxides, could be promising for various applications such as lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Compared to the synthesis of metal oxide hollow spheres by the template method, non-spherical metal oxide hollow hexagonal polyhedra have not been developed to date. Herein, we report the controlled hydrothermal synthesis of a new phase of Co₃V₂O₈⋅ n H₂O hollow hexagonal prismatic pencils (HHPPs), which is composed of uniform structural units. By varying the amount of NaOH in the presence of NH₄⁺ and without any template or organic surfactant, the hexagonal prismatic pencils gradually transform from solid into hollow structures, with sizes varying from 5 to 20 μm. The structure of pencils can be preserved only in a limited range of the molar ratio of OH⁻/NH₄⁺. As a new anode material for LIBs, such hollow pencils exhibit impressive lithium storage properties with high capacity, good cycling stability, and superior rate capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]