Plasma Enabled Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> Nano-aggregates Anchored on Nitrogen-doped Graphene as Anode for Sodium-Ion Batteries
Qianqian Wang,
Yujie Ma,
Li Liu,
Shuyue Yao,
Wenjie Wu,
Zhongyue Wang,
Peng Lv,
Jiajin Zheng,
Kehan Yu,
Wei Wei,
Kostya (Ken) Ostrikov
Affiliations
Qianqian Wang
School of Electronic and Optical Engineering Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, China
Yujie Ma
School of Electronic and Optical Engineering Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, China
Li Liu
School of Electronic and Optical Engineering Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, China
Shuyue Yao
School of Electronic and Optical Engineering Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, China
Wenjie Wu
School of Electronic and Optical Engineering Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, China
Zhongyue Wang
School of Electronic and Optical Engineering Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, China
Peng Lv
School of Electronic and Optical Engineering Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, China
Jiajin Zheng
School of Electronic and Optical Engineering Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, China
Kehan Yu
School of Electronic and Optical Engineering Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, China
Wei Wei
School of Electronic and Optical Engineering Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, China
Kostya (Ken) Ostrikov
School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane QLD 4000, Australia
Low electrical conductivity severely limits the application of Fe2O3 in lithium- and sodium-ion batteries. In respect of this, we design and fabricate Fe2O3/Fe3O4 nano-aggregates anchored on nitrogen-doped graphene as an anode for sodium-ion batteries with the assistance of microwave plasma. The highly conductive Fe3O4 in the composite can function as a highway of electron transport, and the voids and phase boundaries in the Fe2O3/Fe3O4 heterostructure facilitate Na+ ion diffusion into the nano-aggregates. Furthermore, the Fe–O–C bonds between the nano-aggregates and graphene not only stabilize the structural integrity, but also enhance the charge transfer. Consequently, the Fe2O3/Fe3O4/NG anode exhibits specific capacity up to 362 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1, excellent rate capability, and stable long-term cycling performance. This multi-component-based heterostructure design can be used in anode materials for lithium- and sodium-ion batteries, and potential opens a new path for energy storage electrodes.
