Hydrothermal Synthesis of α-Fe₂O₃ as Anode for Fe/Air Battery

The size, shape and structure of iron particles in iron electrode influence the electrochemical properties of Fe/air cells. In order to improve the electrochemical performance of Fe/air cells, an attempt has been made successfully to synthesize iron oxide particles with different surface morphologies and have been used as negative electrodes. Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrothermal method, in which their different morphologies viz., hollow spheres, tubes and plates have been controlled by the concentration of precursors. All the results showed better cycleability, good discharge capacity of synthesized Fe₂O₃ exhibited improved performance compared to commercial Fe₂O₃. Among the synthesized Fe₂O₃, hollow sphere provided the highest discharge capacity.