Synthesis of Fe3O4@C Composites Using Cellulose and Ferric Tartrate Complex as Precursor and Their Application as Anode for High Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries

Fe3O4 is a kind of promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries, however, the poor electrical conductivity and serious volume expansion limit their practical application in practice. In this article, the Fe3O4@C composite is prepared by facilely decomposing of the cellulose/ferric tartrate complex system. A ferric tartrate complex aqueous solution has been explored to dissolve cellulose. After a freeze-drying and subsequently carbonization at high temperature, ferric tartrate complex is decomposed to Fe3O4 and deposited homogenously inside the porous carbon derived from cellulose, obtaining the in-situ porous Fe3O4@C composites. The porous carbon can provide good electrical conductivity and adapt to the volume change of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles in electrochemical research. As LIB anode material, The Fe3O4@C anode delivers high initial charging capacity of 864.9 mAh·g-1 at 100 mA·g-1 and excellent cycling stability of 86.4% capacity retention after 300 cycles at 1000 mA·g-1.