Solventless synthesis of an iron-oxide/graphene nanocomposite and its application as an anode in high-rate Li-ion batteries

Abstract

An iron-oxide/graphene nanocomposite was directly synthesized from an iron–oleate precursor intercalated between graphene layers via a solventless thermal decomposition method. In the nanocomposite, highly monodisperse γ-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles were in close contact with graphene, and they acted as mutual spacers in the nanocomposite to prevent aggregation of the nanoparticles and restacking of the graphene layers. The iron-oxide/graphene nanocomposite shows outstanding electrochemical performance, including high reversible charge/discharge capacity, good cycling stability, and remarkable high-rate-performance (500 mA h g⁻¹ at 5000 mA g⁻¹) when it was employed as a lithium ion battery anode. This nanocomposite can be a potentially valuable candidate anode material for high-rate Li-ion batteries.