Mesoporous Fe2O3 flakes of high aspect ratio encased within thin carbon skeleton for superior lithium-ion battery anodes

Junhua Wang; Mingxia Gao; Hongge Pan; Yongfeng Liu; Ze Zhang; Jixue Li; Qingmei Su; Gaohui Du; Min Zhu; Liuzhang Ouyang; Congxiao Shang; Zhengxiao Guo

doi:10.1039/C5TA02691A

Mesoporous Fe₂O₃ flakes of high aspect ratio encased within thin carbon skeleton for superior lithium-ion battery anodes†

Junhua Wang,^a Mingxia Gao,*^a Hongge Pan,^a Yongfeng Liu,^a Ze Zhang,^b Jixue Li,^b Qingmei Su,^c Gaohui Du,^c Min Zhu,^d Liuzhang Ouyang,^d Congxiao Shang^e and Zhengxiao Guo^f

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* Corresponding authors

^a State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Applications for Batteries of Zhejiang Province & School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P. R. China
E-mail: gaomx@zju.edu.cn
Fax: +86-571-87952615
Tel: +86-571-87952615

^b Center of Electron Microscopy, State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials & School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P. R. China

^c Institute of Physical Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, P. R. China

^d School of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Storage Materials of Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, P. R. China

^e School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK

^f Department of Chemistry, University College London, London, UK

Abstract

Reticulated mesoporous Fe₂O₃@C flakes, consisting of nanocrystalline α-Fe₂O₃ encased within a thin carbon skeleton, were synthesized using ferrocene as iron and carbon sources and a novel reaction agent of ammonium sulphate via a facile two-step heating route. Those flakes, which were several nanometers thick and 1–2 μm in diameter, showed high capacity, excellent cyclic stability and rate capability as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). An initial reversible capacity of 910 mA h g⁻¹ at a discharge/charge current of 0.1 A g⁻¹ was obtained, and the capacity showed a gradual increase during cycling, reaching a high capacity of 1080 mA h g⁻¹ after 120 cycles. An in situ lithiation study by transmission electron microscopy showed that the reticulated mesopores and the ultrathin feature of the Fe₂O₃@C flakes can largely accommodate the mechanical stresses and volume expansion of Fe₂O₃ during lithiation and hence maintain their integrity and provide excellent properties. The thin carbon skeleton not only facilitates the electronic conduction, but also inhibits the aggregation of nanocrystalline Fe₂O₃ flakes. The facile fabrication method and the unique structure of the mesoporous Fe₂O₃@C flakes offer high performance for LIB anodes and great potential for other applications of Fe₂O₃.

This article is part of the themed collection: 2015 Journal of Materials Chemistry A Hot Papers

Journal of Materials Chemistry A

Mesoporous Fe₂O₃ flakes of high aspect ratio encased within thin carbon skeleton for superior lithium-ion battery anodes†

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Journal of Materials Chemistry A