Synthesis of Co-containing mesoporous carbon foams using a new cobalt-oxo cluster as a precursor

A novel trinuclear cobalt-oxo cluster 2[Co3O(Ac)6(H2O)3]·H2O (Co-OXO) has been obtained and characterized by X-ray single-crystal diffraction and elemental analysis. The structure of Co-OXO displays 3D supramolecular networks through hydrogen bonds and generates boron nitride (bnn) topology. Co-OXO was further used as a precursor to synthesize Co-containing mesoporous carbon foams (Co-MCFs), which exhibit highly ordered mesostructure with specific surface area of 614 m2 g−1 and uniform pore size of 2.7 nm. Charge–discharge tests show that the specific discharge capacitance of Co-MCFs is 7% higher than that of the MCFs at the current density of 100 mA g−1, and 26% higher than that of MCFs at the current density of 3 A g−1. The electrochemical behaviors of Co-MCFs are obviously improved due to the improved wettability, increased graphitization degree and the pseudo-capacitance through additional faradic reactions arising from cobalt.