Nitrogen-doped graphene assists Fe2O3 in enhancing electrochemical performance

Fe2O3 anode suffers from drastic volume change during cycling and poor electronic conductivity, resulting in inferior electrochemical performance. To address these problems, the Fe2O3/nitrogen-doped graphene sheets hybridization strategy is proposed by a hydrothermal/annealing process. In this composite, Fe2O3 nanoparticles are tightly confined in graphene sheets matrix and the porous structure is obtained due to the crumpled and cross-like graphene framework, which can alleviate the volume expansion, maintain integrity of the electrode, and improve electrical conductivity and Li+ diffusion. As a result, benefiting from the synergistic effect of N-doped graphene sheets matrix and Fe2O3 nanoparticles, the composite exhibits a reversible capacity up to 952 mAh g−1 at a current density of 100 mA g−1 and excellent rate capability (348 mAh g−1 at a current density 5000 mA g−1).