In-situ porous nano-Fe3O4/C composites derived from citrate precursor as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

In this study, the in-situ nano-Fe3O4/C fabricated from citrate without additional carbon source. Robust composite structure consisting of nano-sized Fe3O4 (10-20 nm) particles and mesoporous carbon are successfully synthesized by a two-step method. Firstly, the precursors are synthesized use citrate and ferric salt as raw materials, followed by a carbonization process to encapsulate in-situ Fe3O4 nanoparticles in mesoporous carbon matrix. For the anodes, the volume expansion of Fe3O4 is buffered by surrounding mesoporous and carbon matrix. Moreover, amorphous carbon matrix can provide more channels for the Li+ during the cyclic processes, greatly facilitating lithium ion transportation. As for lithium storage, porous Fe3O4/C composite exhibited a high specific capacity of 1498 mAh g(-1) and the reversible capacity of 717 mAh g(-1) after 100 cycles at the current of 100 mAg(-1), demonstrating its excellent cycling performance.