Fabrication of Fe2O3/CoFe2O4 pH-controlled nanocomposites as novel anodes for lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

This study describes a straightforward process for creating the two-component nanocomposite Fe₂O₃ and CoFe₂O₄ (CFO) at several pH values, including 9, 10, and 11 (referred to as CFO_pH 9, CFO_pH 10, and CFO_pH 11). The properties of the CFO materials were also analyzed and evaluated in relation to pH values using methods such as X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. The results indicated that the average particle size of the CFO material decreased from approximately 46 nm to 21 nm. Conversely, the Fe₂O₃ phase ratio in the CFO materials increased when the environmental pH was adjusted from 9 to 11. Upon reaching a charge capacity of more than 1000 mAh g⁻¹ in the first cycle, the CFO nanocomposites were also shown to be appropriate for use as the anode electrodes in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The CFO_pH 10 electrode exhibited a noteworthy retention of its high reversible capacity of 731.7 mAh g⁻¹ even after 50 cycles of charging and discharging. This indicates that CFO_pH 10 nanocomposite has a great potential to replace graphite as the anode material in LIBs.