Mesoporous Fe3O4@C submicrospheres evolved by a novel self-corrosion mechanism for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

In this work, mesoporous Fe₃O₄@C submicrospheres with a diameter of 500 nm were successfully synthesized via a template-free hydrothermal method. Time-dependent experiments revealed that this unique microstructure evolved by a novel self-corrosion mechanism. As the anodic materials for lithium-ion batteries, these mesoporous Fe₃O₄@C submicrospheres exhibited enhanced cycling performance (930 mA h g⁻¹ at a current density of 100 mA g⁻¹ after 50 cycles) and high rate capabilities (910, 884, 770 and 710 mA h g⁻¹ at current densities of 100, 200, 500 and 1000 mA g⁻¹, respectively). This outstanding electrochemical behavior was ascribed to the enhanced structural stability and increased electrical conductivity arising from the porosity and carbon coating layers of the Fe₃O₄@C submicrospheres.