Synthesis of hierarchical binary core‐branch nanocomposite of carbon microspheres@ α‐Fe 2 O 3 for enhancing electrochemical behavior

A facial strategy for the synthesis of hierarchical binary core‐branch carbon microspheres (CMS)@α‐Fe 2 O 3 is presented. X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high‐resolution TEM (HR‐TEM), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) were used to characterize the structural and morphological properties of the products. XRD diffraction analysis of CMS@α‐Fe 2 O 3 reveals the highly crystalline nature of α‐Fe 2 O 3 in the hierarchical binary core‐branch CMS@α‐Fe 2 O 3 nanocomposite. Morphological analyses show that the α‐Fe 2 O 3 shell layer grew onto the surface of CMS to form nanoscale heterointerfaces in the core‐branch structure, demonstrating the effectiveness of the synthesized route. More importantly, CMS@α‐Fe 2 O 3 demonstrated superior electrochemical behavior to CMS. The enhanced CMS@α‐Fe 2 O 3 electrochemical performance can be attributed to its large specific surface area, which allows for the rapid transfer of electrons into the electrode during the redox process.