Fe2O3/NiMoO4 Heterostructured Microspheres as an Anode Material for Long-Life and High-Performance Lithium Storage

Fe2O3/NiMoO4 heterostructured microspheres were prepared by a two-step hydrothermal method followed by calcination. The Fe2O3 component in the composite is evolved from FeMoO4, which inherits the advantage of high capacity of FeMoO4. The heterogeneous structure of the microspheres can enlarge the contact area between the active material and electrolyte so as to reduce the charge transfer resistance. When applied to the anode of lithium-ion battery, the material shows distinguished lithium storage performance and mechanical robustness, benefiting from the high capacity of Fe2O3 and good stability of NiMoO4. Moreover, the voids on the surface of the material effectively buffer the volume effect during the repeated cycling. The specific capacity of the composite can reach 1063 mA h g(-1) and 584 mA h g(-1) after 460 and 420 cycles at 300 mA g(-1) and 2 A g(-1), respectively. The improvement of the electrochemical performance is attributed to the unique structural characteristics and synergistic effect of its heterogeneous phases.