Facile synthesis of single-crystalline mesoporous alpha-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 nanorods as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

In this work, single-crystalline alpha-FeOOH nanorods with a length of 400-700 nm and a diameter of 20-80 nm were successfully synthesized via a facile template-free hydrothermal method. Single-crystalline mesoporous alpha-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 nanorods could be obtained from these a-FeOOH precursors after calcining at 350 degrees C in air and 500 degrees C in nitrogen, respectively. The as-prepared single-crystalline mesoporous alpha-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 nanorods exhibited a large specific surface area and porosity, effectively enhancing the electrochemical reaction area and accommodate the strain during the charge-discharge cycling process.