Size-controlled synthesis and electrochemical performance of porous Fe2O3/SnO2 nanocubes as an anode material for lithium ion batteries

Abstract

Uniform and monodisperse porous Fe₂O₃/SnO₂ nanocubes with different particle sizes were synthesized by a template-free, economical aqueous solution method combined with subsequent calcination. The size of the precursor, FeSn(OH)₆ cubes, was controlled carefully from 50–90 nm to 500–600 nm by adjusting the pH of the solution in the coprecipitation process. The structural and morphological evolution was characterized using a range of techniques. Thermal decomposition of the precursors led to an intimate mixture of hexagonal phase Fe₂O₃ and tetragonal phase SnO₂. The as-prepared porous Fe₂O₃/SnO₂ nanocubes with edge sizes in the range of 50–90 nm as anode materials for lithium storage achieved a very high reversible capacity of 620.8 mA h g⁻¹ at 200 mA g⁻¹ after 150 cycles. This paper reports a promising method for the design and preparation of porous nanocomposite electrodes for Li-ion batteries.