The Α-Fe2o3/graphite Anode Composites with Enhanced Electrochemical Performance for Lithium-Ion Batteries

The α-Fe2O3/graphite composites were prepared by a thermal decomposition method using the expanded graphite as the matrix. The α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles with the size of 15-30 nm were embedded into interlayers of graphite, forming a laminated porous nanostructure with a main pore distribution from 2 to 20 nm and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of 33.54 m2 g-1. The porous structure constructed by the graphite sheets can alleviate the adverse effects caused by the huge volume change of the α-Fe2O3 grains during the charge/discharge process. The composite electrode exhibits a high reversible capacity of 1588 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles at 100 mA g-1, 702 mAh g-1 at 5 A g-1, 460 mAh g-1 at 10 A g-1 after 160 cycles, respectively, showing good cycle stability and outstanding rate capability at high current densities.