N-doped honeycomb-like carbon networks loaded with ultra-fine Fe2O3 nanoparticles for lithium-ion batteries

N-doped honeycomb-like carbon networks (N-HCN) loaded with ultra-fine Fe2O3 nanoparticles (Fe2O3/N-HCN) are proposed as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). TheFe(2)O(3)/N-HCN nanocomposites are prepared by freeze-drying of glucose-Fe(NO3)(3) solution, following by grinding it with urea, and finally annealing treatment. The N-HCN with dozen micrometer-sized macropores is composed of carbon nanosheets with a thickness of about 33 nm. A large number of 2-7 nm-sized ultra-fine Fe2O3 nanoparticles with an average size of 4.4 nm are uniformly arrayed on the wall of N-HCN. The Fe2O3/N-HCN nanocomposites exhibit good performances as anode materials for LIBs. After 500 cycles under a large current density of 5 A g(-1), the Fe2O3/N-HCN nanocomposites still show a reversible capacity of 408 mAh g(-1). The good performance can be ascribed to the uniformly dispersed ultra-fine Fe2O3 nanoparticles and unique honeycomb-like structure of N-HCN which provides a continuous conducive network to greatly promote the rapid transfer of ions and electrons, and effectively alleviate the volume fluctuation effect of Fe2O3 during charging and discharging. More importantly, the cheap and environmentally friendly glucose as raw materials provides possibility for green energy applications.