1D hollow alpha -Fe sub(2)O sub(3) electrospun nanofibers as high performance anode material for lithium ion batteries

Hollow-structured alpha -Fe sub(2)O sub(3) nanofibers were successfully synthesized by a simple electrospinning technique using iron acetylacetonate (Fe(acac sub(3))) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) precursor. Fe (acac) sub(3)-PVP composite fibers were calcined at high temperature to form an interconnected 1D hollow-structure of alpha -Fe sub(2)O sub(3) nanofibers. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) were employed to characterize alpha -Fe sub(2)O sub(3) hollow fibers. Based on the characterization results, a formation mechanism for electrospun alpha -Fe sub(2)O sub(3) hollow fibers is proposed. Electrochemical measurements showed that the hollow-structure of alpha -Fe sub(2)O sub(3) nanofibers played an important role in improving the electrode cycle stability and rate capability in lithium ion batteries. The alpha -Fe sub(2)O sub(3) hollow fiber anodes exhibit a high reversible capacity of 1293 mA h g super(-1) at a current density of 60 mA g super(-1) (0.06 C) with excellent cycle stability and rate capability. Based on our study this high performance is attributed to the interconnected hollow-structure of large aspect ratio alpha -Fe sub(2)O sub(3) nanofibers, which makes them a potential candidate for lithium ion batteries.