Fabrication of NiFe2O4/C hollow spheres constructed by mesoporous nanospheres for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

•NiFe2O4/C hollow spheres assembled by mesoporous nanospheres are fabricated.•NiFe2O4/C hollow spheres possess high surface area of 236.44 m2 g−1.•NiFe2O4/C composites exhibit excellent electrochemical properties.•At current density of 10 A g−1, the specific capacity still keeps at 633.3 mAh g−1.

In this study, we report that the NiFe2O4/C hollow spheres composed of mesoporous nanospheres have been fabricated through hydrothermal method, calcination treatment and subsequently carbon-coated process. The obtained composite possesses a high surface area (236.44 m2 g−1) and mesopores (2.3 nm), which can efficiently increase the contact area for electrode/electrolyte and buffer the volume change during electrochemical cycling. Combining with the synergistic effect of NiO, Fe2O3 and carbon, the NiFe2O4/C electrode displays superior electrochemical properties in terms of high reversible capacity, good cycle stability, and excellent rate performance. A specific capacity as high as 1266 mAh g−1 can be obtained after 100 cycles at the current density of 0.2 A g−1. Even at high current rate of 10 A g−1, the reversible capacity still remains at 633.3 mAh g−1 after 250 cycles. Therefore, the mesoporous NiFe2O4/C electrode material may be a promising anode in lithium-ion battery applications.