Graphene-Wrapped Fe₃O₄ Anode Material with Improved Reversible Capacity and Cyclic Stability for Lithium Ion Batteries

Abstract

We developed two-step solution-phase reactions to form hybrid materials of Mn 3 O 4 nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets for lithium ion battery applications. Mn 3 O 4 nanoparticles grown selectively on RGO sheets over free particle growth in solution allowed for the electrically insulating Mn 3 O 4 nanoparticles wired up to a current collector through the underlying conducting graphene network. The Mn 3 O 4 nanoparticles formed on RGO show a high specific capacity up to ~900mAh/g near its theoretical capacity with good rate capability and cycling stability, owing to the intimate interactions between the graphene substrates and the Mn 3 O 4 nanoparticles grown atop. The Mn 3 O 4 /RGO hybrid could be a promising candidate material for high-capacity, low-cost, and environmentally friendly anode for lithium ion batteries. Our growth-on-graphene approach should offer a new technique for design and synthesis of battery electrodes based on highly insulating materials.

Critical Insight into the Relentless Progression Toward Graphene and Graphene‐Containing Materials for Lithium‐Ion Battery Anodes

“…Other graphene-based composites, containing metal-oxides (such as Co 3 O 4 , [45][46][47]112 ] Fe 3 O 4 , [113][114][115] Mn 3 O 4 [ 116 ] and CuO [ 117 ] ) or metal hydroxide (i.e., Co(OH) 2 [ 44 ] ), emerged this year but, unfortunately, even though large specifi c gravimetric capacities were achieved, they all showed a generally limited cycle life and, in some cases, an unsatisfactory electrochemical reversibility (see Table 2 ).…”

“…While few research efforts were published in the early years (i.e., between 2008 and 2010), the growing interest on graphenecontaining composites resulted in a huge number of publications starting from 2011. After the quite encouraging results obtained with graphene-Fe 3 O 4 hybrids in 2010 [113][114][115] (Table 2 ), R. S. Ruoff et al reported the synthesis and the electrochemical properties of a RGO-Fe 2 O 3 composite. [ 125 ] The use of urea to form and anchor Fe(OH) 3 on the surface of the GO platelets was an innovative approach.…”

MoO2/Mo2C/C spheres as anode materials for lithium ion batteries

“…To date, transition metal oxides, such as iron oxide, nickel oxide, and cobalt oxide, have been widely studied as candidate anode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) due to their ability to react with more than two Li + ions per formula unit, resulting in higher capacity than that of graphite [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Molybdenum dioxide (MoO 2 ), one of the transition metal oxides, is remarkably attractive as a host material for lithium ion storage.…”

Electrostatic Self-Assembly of Fe3O4 Nanoparticles on Graphene Oxides for High Capacity Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes

“…Nanostructures of iron oxides (α-Fe 2 O 3 and Fe 3 O 4 ) that store 6~8 Li ions per formula unit via electrochemical "conversion reaction" shown below have been extensively studied as potential high capacity anode materials [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. They have low toxicity and high intrinsic density (5.17 g cm −3 for Fe 3 O 4 vs. 2.16 g cm −3 for graphite), and are abundant.…”