Fe2O3-Ag Porous Film Anodes for Ultrahigh-Rate Lithium-Ion Batteries

Fe2O3 is a candidate material for anodes in Li-ion batteries due to its high theoretical capacity. However, the practical application of Fe2O3 is still limited by its sluggish conversion reactions. In this work, porous Fe2O3 films with homogeneously dispersed Ag nanoparticles are fabricated using a facile one- step electrostatic spray deposition technique. Both the unique, highly porous structure and the conducting Ag metal contribute to the outstanding electrochemical performance of the anode. The Fe2O3-Ag composite anode retains stable capacities of 1042 (0.1 C), 961 (1 C) and 857 mAhg(-1) (5 C) over 100 cycles. When cycled at even higher rates, competitive capacities of 555 (15 C) and 509 mAhg(-1) (20 C) are still acquired. This work might present opportunities to develop an oxide-metal anode with high capacity, long cycling life and good rate capability for Li-ion batteries.