Porous Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Nanoparticles as Lithium-Ion Battery Anode Materials
Chi Zhang, Zhengfan Chen, Haiyan Wang, Yanmei Nie, Jun Yan
Abstract
Currently, because of higher theoretical capacity compared with other materials, the research of Fe2O3 as an anode electrode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has been widely reported. By using a microwave-assisted-template method, the Fe-based metal–organic framework (Fe-MIL-88A) material with a spindle-like morphology was prepared by a microwave-assisted method. Via the one-step pyrolysis of Fe-MIL-88A-MW (microwave-assisted synthesis) in air, uniform Fe2O3-MW-4h nanoparticles with a multicavity structure were obtained. The influence of microwave holding time on the formation of internal cavity in Fe-MIL-88A-MW-derived Fe2O3 nanoparticles was investigated. The resulting Fe2O3-MW-4h nanoparticles exhibit the unique advantages of nanomaterials, with a high surface area and large pore volume. These features facilitate the movement of the electrolyte and reduce the resistance of the material. Most importantly, the multicavity structure of Fe2O3-MW-4h nanoparticles could reduce the volume change during the Li+ insertion and extraction process. When materials were used as anode materials for LIBs, the Fe2O3-MW-4h nanoparticles exhibit excellent electrochemical performance. Therefore, the microwave-assisted-template method is promising in manufacturing metal oxides with multicavity structures for the next generation of LIB anode electrode materials.