Facile fabrication of Fe(3)O(4) octahedra/nanoporous copper network composite for high-performance anode in Li-Ion...

Fe₃O₄ octahedra embedded in conductive nanoporous copper (NPC) network are straightforwardly fabricated by means of alloy refining followed by facile electroless dealloying in mild condition. During selectively dissolving the Al from FeCuAl alloy, the residual Cu atoms assemble to form sponge-like nanostructure, meanwhile the Fe atoms undergo spontaneous oxidation and aggregation to grow into Fe₃O₄ octahedra travelled through NPC network. Owing to the combination of conductive NPC network, Fe₃O₄ octahedra exhibit dramatically enhanced lithium storage performances with excellent reversible capacity, enhanced rate performance, as well outstanding cyclability compared with pure Fe₃O₄ octahedra. Especially, Fe₃O₄/Cu nanocomposite shows superior cycling stability with the excellent reversible capacity of 664.0 and 512.6mAhg^-1 retained over 500 cycles at the current densities of 300 and 1000mAg^-1, respectively. Moreover, it shows good rate capability even when cycled at 1000mAg^-1. With the advantages of exceptional performances and facile preparation, the as-made Fe₃O₄/Cu nanocomposite shows prospective application potential as an advanced anode material in lithium ion batteries.