A novel approach to facilely synthesize mesoporous ZnFe2O4 nanorods for lithium ion batteries

•A novel and scalable approach was used to fabricate mesoporous ZnFe2O4 nanorods.•The special structure provides sufficient space to tolerate the volume variation.•The mesoporous ZnFe2O4 nanorods show good cycling stability and rate capability.

Despite the fact that ZnFe2O4 has various advantages as promising anode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), ZnFe2O4 chronically suffers from limited cycle life, originating from poor electronic conductivity and huge volume changes. In this study, we address these traditional issues of ZnFe2O4 by fabricating a mesoporous nanorod structure through a novel, facile and scalable co-precipitation approach followed by thermal decomposition. The unique nanostructure not only effectively shortens the pathway for Li+ diffusion, but also provides a high porosity to effectively tolerate volume variation during charge/discharge processes. The reversible capacity of ZnFe2O4 can still reach 983 mAh g−1 at a specific current of 100 mA g−1 after 50 cycles. Mesoporous ZnFe2O4 nanorod could be demonstrated as a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries.