Sol-gel-assisted preparation of SiO2@Co3O4 heterostructure from laboratory glass waste as a potential anode for lithium-ion battery.

In this work, a simple sol–gel method was developed to incorporate Co₃O₄ into glass waste-derived SiO₂ to generate a heterostructured SiO₂@Co₃O₄ nanocomposite. Morphological analysis revealed the presence of tiny Co₃O₄ grains embedded on to the surface of the spherically shaped SiO₂ particles. The SiO₂@Co₃O₄ hetrostructure anode exhibited a reversible capacity as high as 684 mA h g⁻¹ at 0.5 C. Even after 50 cycles, the anode material showed a remarkable Coulombic efficiency of 99% with capacity retention as high as 75% (507 mA h g⁻¹). The synergistic contribution resulting from the alloying/conversion mechanisms associated with the SiO₂@Co₃O₄ resulted in enhanced electrochemical performance. Highlights: The SiO₂@Co₃O₄ composite was generated by a simple sol–gel method using laboratory glass wastes. The SiO₂@Co₃O₄ anode delivered initial-discharge capacity of 1651 mA h g⁻¹. The synergistic effects of SiO₂/Co₃O₄ resulted in a remarkable Columbic efficiency of almost 100%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]