Facile complex-coprecipitation synthesis of mesoporous Fe3O4 nanocages and their high lithium storage capacity as anode material for lithium-ion batteries

•MFONs are synthesized by a facile complex-coprecipitation method.•MFONs with high surface area lead to excellent electrochemical performance.•MFONs anode retains a capacity of 573 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1 after 300 cycles.

In this study, high-quality mesoporous Fe3O4 nanocages (MFONs) have been synthesized by a facile complex-coprecipitation method at 100 °C with addition of triethanolamine and ethylene glycol. The as-prepared Fe3O4 nanocages possess a mesoporous structure and highly uniform dispersion. When used as an anode material for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, MFONs anode shows high specific capacities and excellent cycling performance at high and low current rates. At a current density of 200 mA g−1, the discharge specific capacities are 876 mAh g−1 at the 2nd cycle and 830 mAh g−1 at the 100th cycle. Even at the high current density of 1000 mA g−1, MFONs anode still retains a stable capacity of 573 mAh g−1 after 300 cycles. This superior electrochemical performance is attributed to the unique mesoporous cage-like structure and high specific surface area (133 m2 g−1) of MFONs, which may offer large electrode/electrolyte contact area for the electron conduction and Li+ storage. Furthermore, the good mechanical flexibility of the mesoporous nanocages can readily buffer the massive volume expansion/shrinkage associated with the reversible electrode reaction. These results indicate that MFONs can be used as a promising high-performance anode material for lithium-ion batteries.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideA facile complex-coprecipitation synthesis of mesoporous Fe3O4 nanocages and their high capacities and excellent cycling performance as anode material for LIBs are reported.