Gram-scale synthesis of rGO wrapped porous alpha-Fe2O3 as an advanced anode material for Na-ion batteries with superior cyclic stability

Abstract

Synthesis of various earth-abundant electroactive materials in gram-scale via simple methods with excellent efficiency can effectively reduce the cost. In this context, we have demonstrated a gram-scale synthesis of alpha-Fe2O3@rGO core@shell nanocubes via a direct solution route. By the concept of charge-charge interactions, we have successfully wrapped the reduced graphene oxide (rGO) over the surface of alpha-Fe2O3 nanocubes resulting in the formation of alpha-Fe2O3@rGO core@shell nanocubes in a gram-scale. The synthesized alpha-Fe2O3@rGO core@shell nanocubes were characterized by a group of analytical methods and finally explored as an effective anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). The alpha-Fe2O3@rGO-10 wt% core@shell nanocubes sample displays an exceptional specific capacity of 970.2 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C-rate with a better rate capability of 77.8 mAh g-1 at 5.0 C-rate. Moreover, the alpha-Fe2O3@rGO-10 wt% sample also demonstrates a better specific capacity of about 586.9 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles at 0.1 C-rate. The current approach can enable the synthesis of various electroactive materials on a gram-scale using a cost-effective strategy with better electrochemical performance for practical energy storage devices.