1D hollow α-Fe ₂O ₃ electrospun nanofibers as high performance anode material for lithium ion batteries

Hollow-structured α-Fe ₂O ₃ nanofibers were successfully synthesized by a simple electrospinning technique using iron acetylacetonate (Fe(acac ₃)) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) precursor. Fe (acac) ₃-PVP composite fibers were calcined at high temperature to form an interconnected 1D hollow-structure of α-Fe ₂O 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 α-Fe ₂O ₃ hollow fibers. Based on the characterization results, a formation mechanism for electrospun α-Fe ₂O ₃ hollow fibers is proposed. Electrochemical measurements showed that the hollow-structure of α-Fe ₂O ₃ nanofibers played an important role in improving the electrode cycle stability and rate capability in lithium ion batteries. The α-Fe ₂O ₃ hollow fiber anodes exhibit a high reversible capacity of 1293 mA h g ^-1 at a current density of 60 mA g ^-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 α-Fe ₂O ₃ nanofibers, which makes them a potential candidate for lithium ion batteries.