Smart Construction of Co ₃ O ₄ Nanowire Arrays on Carbon Cloth of Flexible Electrodes Toward Enhanced Lithium‐Ion Battery

Abstract Due to its high theoretical specific capacity, the transition metal oxide Co 3 O 4 has garnered significant attention as a potential cathode material. However, Co 3 O 4 suffers from low conductivity and significant volume expansion during the charging and discharging of lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). In this study, flexible Co 3 O 4 @CC and Co 3 O 4 nanowire arrays were successfully synthesized on carbon cloth using a hydrothermal method. The nanostructure enhances the specific surface area and active reaction sites, mitigates volume changes during lithiation and delithiation, and improves ion diffusion, while maintaining structural integrity, making it highly suitable for high‐performance energy storage applications. Electrochemical performance analysis revealed that the specific capacity of the Co 3 O 4 @CC nanowire array reached 452.45 mAh g −1 after 100 cycles at 100 mA g −1 , significantly surpassing that of Co 3 O 4 (288.80 mAh g −1 ). Furthermore, the electrode exhibited a high initial coulombic efficiency of 98.12%, indicating excellent reversibility. At a high current density of 500 mA g −1 , the Co 3 O 4 @CC electrode demonstrated an average discharge capacity of 799.85 mAh g −1 , surpassing that of Co 3 O 4 (387.42 mAh g −1 ), indicating superior rate performance and excellent structural stability.