Effect of Carbon Coating on the Physicochemical and Electrochemical Properties of Fe₂O₃ Nanoparticles for Anode Application in High Performance Lithium Ion Batteries

Nanoparticulate Fe₂O₃ and Fe₂O₃/C composites with different carbon proportions have been prepared for anode application in lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Morphological studies revealed that particles of Fe₂O₃ in the composites were well-dispersed in the matrix of amorphous carbon. The properties of the γ-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles and the correlation with the particle size and connectivity were studied by electron paramagnetic resonance, magnetic, and Mössbauer measurements. The electrochemical study revealed that composites with carbon have promising electrochemical performances. These samples yielded specific discharge capacities of 1200 mAh/g after operating for 100 cycles at 1C. These excellent results could be explained by the homogeneity of particle size and structure as well as the uniform distribution of γ-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles in the in situ generated amorphous carbon matrix.