Sodium‐Ion Storage Properties of FeS–Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite Powder with a Crumpled Structure

The sodium‐ion storage properties of FeS–reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and Fe₃O₄‐rGO composite powders with crumpled structures have been studied. The Fe₃O₄‐rGO composite powder, prepared by one‐pot spray pyrolysis, could be transformed to an FeS‐rGO composite powder through a simple sulfidation treatment. The mean size of the Fe₃O₄ nanocrystals in the Fe₃O₄‐rGO composite powder was 4.4 nm. After sulfidation, FeS nanocrystals of size several hundred nanometers were confined within the crumpled structure of the rGO matrix. The initial discharge capacities of the FeS‐rGO and Fe₃O₄‐rGO composite powders were 740 and 442 mA h g^?1, and their initial charge capacities were 530 and 165 mA h g^?1, respectively. The discharge capacities of the FeS‐rGO and Fe₃O₄‐rGO composite powders at the 50th cycle were 547 and 150 mA h g^?1, respectively. The FeS‐rGO composite powder showed superior sodium‐ion storage performance compared to the Fe₃O₄‐rGO composite powder.     

Self‐Assembling Synthesis of Free‐standing Nanoporous Graphene–Transition‐Metal Oxide Flexible Electrodes for High‐Performance Lithium‐Ion Batteries and Supercapacitors

The synthesis of nanoporous graphene by a convenient carbon nanofiber assisted self‐assembly approach is reported. Porous structures with large pore volumes, high surface areas, and well‐controlled pore sizes were achieved by employing spherical silica as hard templates with different diameters. Through a general wet‐immersion method, transition‐metal oxide (Fe₃O₄, Co₃O₄, NiO) nanocrystals can be easily loaded into nanoporous graphene papers to form three‐dimensional flexible nanoarchitectures. When directly applied as electrodes in lithium‐ion batteries and supercapacitors, the materials exhibited superior electrochemical performances, including an ultra‐high specific capacity, an extended long cycle life, and a high rate capability. In particular, nanoporous Fe₃O₄–graphene composites can deliver a reversible specific capacity of 1427.5 mAh g^?1 at a high current density of 1000 mA g^?1 as anode materials in lithium‐ion batteries. Furthermore, nanoporous Co₃O₄–graphene composites achieved a high supercapacitance of 424.2 F g^?1. This work demonstrated that the as‐developed freestanding nanoporous graphene papers could have significant potential for energy storage and conversion applications.     

Synergistic Ternary Composite (Carbon/Fe3O4@Graphene) with Hollow Microspherical and Robust Structure for Li‐Ion Storage

The electrode materials with hollow structure and/or graphene coating are expected to exhibit outstanding electrochemical performances in energy‐storage systems. 2D graphene‐wrapped hollow C/Fe₃O₄ microspheres are rationally designed and fabricated by a novel facile and scalable strategy. The core@double‐shell structure SPS@FeOOH@GO (SPS: sulfonated polystyrene, GO: graphene oxide) microspheres are first prepared through a simple one‐pot approach and then transformed into C/Fe₃O₄@G (G: graphene) after calcination at 500 °C in Ar. During calcination, the Kirkendall effect resulting from the diffusion/reaction of SPS‐derived carbon and FeOOH leads to the formation of hollow structure carbon with Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles embedded in it. In the rationally constructed architecture of C/Fe₃O₄@G, the strongly coupled C/Fe₃O₄ hollow microspheres are further anchored onto 2D graphene networks, achieving a strong synergetic effect between carbon, Fe₃O₄, and graphene. As an anode material of Li‐ion batteries (LIBs), C/Fe₃O₄@G manifests a high reversible capacity, excellent rate behavior, and outstanding long‐term cycling performance (1208 mAh g^?1 after 200 cycles at 100 mA g^?1).     

One‐Step Pyro‐Synthesis of a Nanostructured Mn3O4/C Electrode with Long Cycle Stability for Rechargeable Lithium‐Ion Batteries

A nanostructured Mn₃O₄/C electrode was prepared by a one‐step polyol‐assisted pyro‐synthesis without any post‐heat treatments. The as‐prepared Mn₃O₄/C revealed nanostructured morphology comprised of secondary aggregates formed from carbon‐coated primary particles of average diameters ranging between 20 and 40 nm, as evidenced from the electron microscopy studies. The N₂ adsorption studies reveal a hierarchical porous feature in the nanostructured electrode. The nanostructured morphology appears to be related to the present rapid combustion strategy. The nanostructured porous Mn₃O₄/C electrode demonstrated impressive electrode properties with reversible capacities of 666 mAh g^?1 at a current density of 33 mA g^?1, good capacity retentions (1141 mAh g^?1 with 100 % Coulombic efficiencies at the 100^th cycle), and rate capabilities (307 and 202 mAh g^?1 at 528 and 1056 mA g^?1, respectively) when tested as an anode for lithium‐ion battery applications.     

Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Assisted Deposition of Fe3O4 Nanoparticles on Hierarchical Porous Carbon and Their Lithium‐Storage Performance

A composite of highly dispersed Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (NPs) anchored in three‐dimensional hierarchical porous carbon networks (Fe₃O₄/3DHPC) as an anode material for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) was prepared by means of a deposition technique assisted by a supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂)‐expanded ethanol solution. The as‐synthesized Fe₃O₄/3DHPC composite exhibits a bimodal porous 3D architecture with mutually connected 3.7 nm mesopores defined in the macroporous wall on which a layer of small and uniform Fe₃O₄ NPs was closely coated. As an anode material for LIBs, the Fe₃O₄/3DHPC composite with 79 wt % Fe₃O₄ (Fe₃O₄/3DHPC‐79) delivered a high reversible capacity of 1462 mA h g^?1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g^?1, and maintained good high‐rate performance (728, 507, and 239 mA h g^?1 at 1, 2, and 5 C, respectively). Moreover, it showed excellent long‐term cycling performance at high current densities, 1 and 2 A g^?1. The enhanced lithium‐storage behavior can be attributed to the synergistic effect of the porous support and the homogeneous Fe₃O₄ NPs. More importantly, this straightforward, highly efficient, and green synthetic route will definitely enrich the methodologies for the fabrication of carbon‐based transition‐metal oxide composites, and provide great potential materials for additional applications in supercapacitors, sensors, and catalyses.     

Superior Electrochemical Properties of Nanofibers Composed of Hollow CoFe2O4 Nanospheres Covered with Onion‐Like Graphitic Carbon

Nanofibers composed of hollow CoFe₂O₄ nanospheres covered with onion‐like carbon are prepared by applying nanoscale Kirkendall diffusion to the electrospinning process. Amorphous carbon nanofibers embedded with CoFe₂@onion‐like carbon nanospheres are prepared by reduction of the electrospun nanofibers. Oxidation of the CoFe₂‐C nanofibers at 300 °C under a normal atmosphere produces porous nanofibers composed of hollow CoFe₂O₄ nanospheres covered with onion‐like carbon. CoFe₂ nanocrystals are transformed into the hollow CoFe₂O₄ nanospheres during oxidation through a well‐known nanoscale Kirkendall diffusion process. The discharge capacities of the carbon‐free CoFe₂O₄ nanofibers composed of hollow nanospheres and the nanofibers composed of hollow CoFe₂O₄ nanospheres covered with onion‐like carbon are 340 and 930 mA h g^?1, respectively, for the 1000th cycle at a current density of 1 A g^?1. The nanofibers composed of hollow CoFe₂O₄ nanospheres covered with onion‐like carbon exhibit an excellent rate performance even in the absence of conductive materials.     

Highly Ordered Mesoporous Few‐Layer Graphene Frameworks Enabled by Fe3O4 Nanocrystal Superlattices

While great progress has been achieved in the synthesis of ordered mesoporous carbons in the past decade, it still remains a challenge to prepare highly graphitic frameworks with ordered mesoporosity and high surface area. Reported herein is a simple synthetic methodology, based on the conversion of self‐assembled superlattices of Fe₃O₄ nanocrystals, to fabricate highly ordered mesoporous graphene frameworks (MGFs) with ultrathin pore walls consisting of three to six stacking graphene layers. The MGFs possess face‐centered‐cubic symmetry with interconnected mesoporosity, tunable pore width, and high surface area. Because of their unique architectures and superior structural durability, the MGFs exhibit excellent cycling stability and rate performance when used as anode materials for lithium‐ion batteries, thus retaining a specific capacity of 520 mAh g^?1 at a current density of 300 mA g^?1 after 400 cycles.     

CNT@Fe3O4@C Coaxial Nanocables: One‐Pot,Additive‐Free Synthesis and Remarkable Lithium Storage Behavior

By using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a shape template and glucose as a carbon precursor and structure‐directing agent, CNT@Fe₃O₄@C porous core/sheath coaxial nanocables have been synthesized by a simple one‐pot hydrothermal process. Neither a surfactant/ligand nor a CNT pretreatment is needed in the synthetic process. A possible growth mechanism governing the formation of this nanostructure is discussed. When used as an anode material of lithium‐ion batteries, the CNT@Fe₃O₄@C nanocables show significantly enhanced cycling performance, high rate capability, and high Coulombic efficiency compared with pure Fe₂O₃ particles and Fe₃O₄/CNT composites. The CNT@Fe₃O₄@C nanocables deliver a reversible capacity of 1290 mA h g^?1 after 80 cycles at a current density of 200 mA g^?1, and maintain a reversible capacity of 690 mA h g^?1 after 200 cycles at a current density of 2000 mA g^?1. The improved lithium storage behavior can be attributed to the synergistic effect of the high electronic conductivity support and the inner CNT/outer carbon buffering matrix.     

Reduced Graphene‐Wrapped MnO2 Nanowires Self‐Inserted with Co3O4 Nanocages: Remarkable Enhanced Performances for Lithium‐Ion Anode Applications

A simple synthetic approach for graphene‐templated nanostructured MnO₂ nanowires self‐inserted with Co₃O₄ nanocages is proposed in this work. The Co₃O₄ nanocages were penetrated in situ by MnO₂ nanowires. As an anode, the as‐obtained MnO₂–Co₃O₄–RGO composite exhibits remarkable enhanced performance compared with the MnO₂–RGO and Co₃O₄–RGO samples. The MnO₂–Co₃O₄–RGO electrode delivers a reversible capacity of up to 577.4 mA h g^?1 after 400 cycles at 500 mA g^?1 and the Coulombic efficiency of MnO₂–Co₃O₄–RGO is about 96 %.     

A Carbon‐Sulfur Hybrid with Pomegranate‐like Structure for Lithium‐Sulfur Batteries

A carbon‐sulfur hybrid with pomegranate‐like core–shell structure, which demonstrates a high rate performance and relatively high cyclic stability, is obtained through carbonization of a carbon precursor in the presence of a sulfur precursor (FeS₂) and a following oxidation of FeS₂ to sulfur by HNO₃. Such a structure effectively protects the sulfur and leaves enough buffer space after Fe³⁺ removal and, at the same time, has an interconnected conductive network. The capacity of the obtained hybrid is 450 mA h g^?1 under the current density of 5 C. This work provides a simple strategy to design and prepare various high‐performance carbon‐sulfur hybrids for lithium‐sulfur batteries.     

Uniform Decoration of Vanadium Oxide Nanocrystals on Reduced Graphene‐Oxide Balls by an Aerosol Process for Lithium‐Ion Battery Cathode Material

VO₂‐decorated reduced graphene balls were prepared by a one‐pot spray‐pyrolysis process from a colloidal spray solution of well‐dispersed graphene oxide and ammonium vanadate. The graphene–VO₂ composite powders prepared directly by spray pyrolysis had poor electrochemical properties. Therefore, the graphene–VO₂ composite powders were transformed into a reduced graphene ball (RGB)–V₂O₅ (RGB) composite by post‐treatment at 300 °C in an air atmosphere. The TEM and dot‐mapping images showed a uniform distribution of V and C components, originating from V₂O₅ and graphene, consisting the composite. The graphene content of the RGB–V₂O₅ composite, measured by thermogravimetric analysis, was approximately 5 wt %. The initial discharge and charge capacities of RGB–V₂O₅ composite were 282 and 280 mA h g^?1, respectively, and the corresponding Coulombic efficiency was approximately 100 %. On the other hand, the initial discharge and charge capacities of macroporous V₂O₅ powders were 205 and 221 mA h g^?1, respectively, and the corresponding Coulombic efficiency was approximately 93 %. The RGB–V₂O₅ composite showed a better rate performance than the macroporous V₂O₅ powders.     

TiO2–B Nanosheets/Anatase Nanocrystals Co‐Anchored on Nanoporous Graphene: In Situ Reduction–Hydrolysis Synthesis and Their Superior Rate Performance as an Anode Material

A unique hybrid, TiO₂–B nanosheets/anatase nanocrystals co‐anchored on nanoporous graphene sheets, can be synthesized by a facile microwave‐induced in situ reduction–hydrolysis route. The as‐formed nanohybrid has a hierarchically porous structure, involving both mesopores of approximately 4 nm and meso‐/macropores of 30–60 nm in the graphene sheets, and a large surface area. Importantly, electrodes composed of the nanohybrid exhibit superior rate capability (160 mA h g^?1 at ca. 36 C; 154 mA h g^?1 at ca. 72 C) and excellent cyclability. The synergistic effects of conductive graphene with numerous nanopores and the pseudocapacitive effect of ultrafine TiO₂–B nanosheets and anatase nanocrystals endow the hybrid a superior rate capability.     

Confined Nanospace Pyrolysis for the Fabrication of Coaxial Fe3O4@C Hollow Particles with a Penetrated Mesochannel as a Superior Anode for Li‐Ion Batteries

In this study, a method is developed to fabricate Fe₃O₄@C particles with a coaxial and penetrated hollow mesochannel based on the concept of “confined nanospace pyrolysis”. The synthesis involves the production of a polydopamine coating followed by a silica coating on a rod‐shaped β‐FeOOH nanoparticle, and subsequent treatment by using confined nanospace pyrolysis and silica removal procedures. Typical coaxial hollow Fe₃O₄@C possesses a rice‐grain morphology and mesoporous structure with a large specific surface area, as well as a continuous and flexible carbon shell. Electrochemical tests reveal that the hollow Fe₃O₄@C with an open‐ended nanostructure delivers a high specific capacity (ca. 864 mA h g^?1 at 1 A g^?1), excellent rate capability with a capacity of about 582 mA h g^?1 at 2 A g^?1, and a high Coulombic efficiency (>97 %). The excellent electrochemical performance benefits from the hollow cavity with an inner diameter of 18 nm and a flexible carbon shell that can accommodate the volume change of the Fe₃O₄ during the lithium insertion/extraction processes as well as the large specific surface area and open inner cavity to facilitate the rapid diffusion of lithium ions from electrolyte to active material. This fabrication strategy can be used to generate a hollow or porous metal oxide structure for high‐performance Li‐ion batteries.     

One‐Pot Method for Synthesizing Spherical‐Like Metal Sulfide–Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite Powders with Superior Electrochemical Properties for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

A facile, one‐pot method for synthesizing spherical‐like metal sulfide–reduced graphene oxide (RGO) composite powders by spray pyrolysis is reported. The direct sulfidation of ZnO nanocrystals decorated on spherical‐like RGO powders resulted in ZnS–RGO composite powders. ZnS nanocrystals with a size below 20 nm were uniformly dispersed on spherical‐like RGO balls. The discharge capacities of the ZnS–RGO, ZnO–RGO, bare ZnS, and bare ZnO powders at a current density of 1000 mA g^?1 after 300 cycles were 628, 476, 230, and 168 mA h g^?1, respectively, and the corresponding capacity retentions measured after the first cycles were 93, 70, 40, and 21 %, respectively. The discharge capacity of the ZnS–RGO composite powders at a high current density of 4000 mA g^?1 after 700 cycles was 437 mA h g^?1. The structural stability of the highly conductive ZnS–RGO composite powders with ultrafine crystals during cycling resulted in excellent electrochemical properties.     

Microwave‐Induced In Situ Synthesis of Zn2GeO4/N‐Doped Graphene Nanocomposites and Their Lithium‐Storage Properties

Zn₂GeO₄/N‐doped graphene nanocomposites have been synthesized through a fast microwave‐assisted route on a large scale. The resulting nanohybrids are comprised of Zn₂GeO₄ nanorods that are well‐embedded in N‐doped graphene sheets by in situ reducing and doping. Importantly, the N‐doped graphene sheets serve as elastic networks to disperse and electrically wire together the Zn₂GeO₄ nanorods, thereby effectively relieving the volume‐expansion/contraction and aggregation of the nanoparticles during charge and discharge processes. We demonstrate that an electrode that is made of the as‐formed Zn₂GeO₄/N‐doped graphene nanocomposite exhibits high capacity (1463 mAh g^?1 at a current density of 100 mA g^?1), good cyclability, and excellent rate capability (531 mAh g^?1 at a current density of 3200 mA g^?1). Its superior lithium‐storage performance could be related to a synergistic effect of the unique nanostructured hybrid, in which the Zn₂GeO₄ nanorods are well‐stabilized by the high electronic conduction and flexibility of N‐doped graphene sheets. This work offers an effective strategy for the fabrication of functionalized ternary‐oxide‐based composites as high‐performance electrode materials that involve structural conversion and transformation.     

Graphitized carbon and graphene modified Fe2O3/Li4Ti5O12 as anode material for lithium ion batteries

Graphitized carbon (GC) and graphene (GE) modified Fe₂O₃/Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ (LTO) composites have been synthesized via a solid‐state reaction, respectively. The structure, morphology and electrochemical performance of the materials have also been characterized with X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) with an energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) system, X‐ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and electrochemical measurements. The discharge capacities of Fe₂O₃/LTO, GC/Fe₂O₃/LTO and GE/Fe₂O₃/LTO are 100.2 mAh g^?1, 207.5 mAh g^?1 and 238.9 mAh g^?1 after 100 cycles at the current density of 176 mA g^?1. The cyclic stability and rate capability are in the order of GE/Fe₂O₃/LTO > GC/Fe₂O₃/LTO > Fe₂O₃/LTO because of the synergistic effect between GC (GE) and Fe₂O₃/LTO. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High Performance Full Sodium‐Ion Cell Based on a Nanostructured Transition Metal Oxide as Negative Electrode

A novel design of a sodium‐ion cell is proposed based on the use of nanocrystalline thin films composed of transition metal oxides. X‐ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and electron microscopy were helpful techniques to unveil the microstructural properties of the pristine nanostructured electrodes. Thus, Raman spectroscopy revealed the presence of amorphous NiO, α‐Fe₂O₃ (hematite) and γ‐Fe₂O₃ (maghemite). Also, this technique allowed the calculation of an average particle size of 23.4 Å in the amorphous carbon phase in situ generated on the positive electrode. The full sodium‐ion cell performed with a reversible capacity of 100 mA h g^?1 at C/2 with an output voltage of about 1.8 V, corresponding to a specific energy density of about 180 W h kg^?1. These promising electrochemical performances allow these transition metal thin films obtained by electrochemical deposition to be envisaged as serious competitors for future negative electrodes in sodium‐ion batteries.     

Electrochemical Properties of Tin Oxide Flake/Reduced Graphene Oxide/Carbon Composite Powders as Anode Materials for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Hierarchically structured tin oxide/reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/carbon composite powders are prepared through a one‐pot spray pyrolysis process. SnO nanoflakes of several hundred nanometers in diameter and a few nanometers in thickness are uniformly distributed over the micrometer‐sized spherical powder particles. The initial discharge and charge capacities of the tin oxide/RGO/carbon composite powders at a current density of 1000 mA g^?1 are 1543 and 1060 mA h g^?1, respectively. The discharge capacity of the tin oxide/RGO/carbon composite powders after 175 cycles is 844 mA h g^?1, and the capacity retention measured from the second cycle is 80 %. The transformation during cycling of SnO nanoflakes, uniformly dispersed in the tin oxide/RGO/carbon composite powder, into ultrafine nanocrystals results in hollow nanovoids that act as buffers for the large volume changes that occur during cycling, thereby improving the cycling and rate performances of the tin oxide/RGO/carbon composite powders.     

Amorphizing of Ag Nanoparticles under Bioinspired One‐step Assembly of Fe3O4‐Ag/rGO Hybrids via Self‐redox Process with Enhanced Activity

Efficient and reusable nanocatalysts fabricated via a facile assembly are highly desirable for the cost‐effective hydrogenation reduction. Inspired by a fishing process with a fishnet, multifunctional nanostructured catalysts are rationally designed to combine interesting features via the self‐redox assembly of Fe₃O₄‐Ag composites on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) (Fe₃O₄‐Ag/rGO). In detail, Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (NPs) endow the ternary hybrids with superparamagnetism (21.42 emu g^?1), facilitating catalysts to be separated from the reaction system. rGO could provide electron transfer pathways, enhancing catalytic activity. More interestingly, GO and Ag⁺ could behave as oxidants to oxidize Fe²⁺ for the in situ assembly of Fe₃O₄‐Ag/rGO without any addition of reductant/oxidant or organic solvents, and AgNPs endow the ternary hybrids with excellent catalytic behaviour. Meaningfully, the bioinspired process enables the ternary hybrids to possess more abundant micro?/nanopores, larger surface area, and more amorphization. They exhibit exceptional catalytic performance, and could be recycled with excellent activity by means of convenient magnetic separation (at least 7 times). Moreover, the ternary hybrids could degrade methylene blue under UV light due to different valence states of Fe in Fe₃O₄. Therefore, the proposed bioinspired assembly and structure design for hierarchical catalysts would pave a promising way to assemble other catalysts.     

Wintersweet‐Flower‐Like CoFe2O4/MWCNTs Hybrid Material for High‐Capacity Reversible Lithium Storage

CoFe₂O₄/multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) hybrid materials were synthesized by a hydrothermal method. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analysis confirmed the morphology of the as‐prepared hybrid material resembling wintersweet flower “buds on branches”, in which CoFe₂O₄ nanoclusters, consisting of nanocrystals with a size of 5–10 nm, are anchored along carbon nanotubes. When applied as an anode material in lithium ion batteries, the CoFe₂O₄/MWCNTs hybrid material exhibited a high performance for reversible lithium storage. In particular, the hybrid anode material delivered reversible lithium storage capacities of 809, 765, 539, and 359 mA h g^?1 at current densities of 180, 450, 900, and 1800 mA g^?1, respectively. The superior performance of CoFe₂O₄/MWCNTs hybrid materials could be ascribed to the synergistic pinning effect of the wintersweet‐flower‐like nanoarchitecture. This strategy could also be applied to synthesize other metal oxide/CNTs hybrid materials as high‐capacity anode materials for lithium ion batteries.