The α-Fe₂O₃/graphite anode composites with enhanced electrochemical performance for lithium-ion batteries

The α-Fe₂O₃/graphite composites were prepared by a thermal decomposition method using the expanded graphite as the matrix. The α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles with the size of 15-30 nm were embedded into interlayers of graphite, forming a laminated porous nanostructure with a main pore distribution from 2 to 20 nm and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of 33.54 m² g^-1. The porous structure constructed by the graphite sheets can alleviate the adverse effects caused by the huge volume change of the α-Fe₂O₃ grains during the charge/discharge process. The composite electrode exhibits a high reversible capacity of 1588 mAh g^-1 after 100 cycles at 100 mA g^-1, 702 mAh g^-1 at 5 A g^-1, 460 mAh g^-1 at 10 A g^-1 after 160 cycles, respectively, showing good cycle stability and outstanding rate capability at high current densities.