Synthesis of graphene/α-Fe2O3 nanospindles by hydrothermal assembly and their lithium storage performance

Nanocomposite of graphene/α-Fe2O3 (G/α-Fe2O3) nanospindles was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal assembly method followed by thermal treatment. The α-Fe2O3 nanospindles were evenly enwrapped by the graphene nanosheets. When evaluated as an anode for Li-ion batteries (LIBs), the G/α-Fe2O3 nanocomposite showed enhanced cycling performance and rate capability compared to pure α-Fe2O3. G/α-Fe2O3 retained a reversible capacity of 607 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 100 mA g−1-, which is far higher than that (160 mAh g−1) of α-Fe2O3. The superior electrochemical performance of G/α-Fe2O3 can be attributed to the protection effect of graphene nanosheets to accommodate the volume change of α-Fe2O3 during lithiation/delithiation.