Mesoporous MFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} (M = Mn, Co, and Ni) for anode materials of lithium-ion batteries: Synthesis and electrochemical properties

Highlights: • MFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} (M = Mn, Co, and Ni) are synthesized by a template-free hydrothermal method. • The mesoporous morphology is formed by self-assembly of crystal nucleus. • The mesporous MnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} have the active phase and the synergy for Li-ion storage. - Abstract: The MFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} (M = Mn, Co, and Ni) mesoporous spheres with an average diameter of 250 nm were synthesized through a template-free hydrothermal method. The mesoporous MnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} with a large surface area of 87.5 m{sup 2}/g and an average pore size of 27.52 nm were obtained. As the anode materials for Li-ion batteries, the mesoporous MnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} exhibits excellent initial charge and discharge capacities of 1010 and 642.5 mA h/g. After 50 cycles, the discharge capacity could still remain at 379 mA h/g. The results showed that the active phase and the synergy between different metal oxides greatly improved the electrochemical performance, and the mesoporous composite could stabilize the structure of the electrodes.