Facile synthesis of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (CFO-NPs) as anode material with enhanced lithium storage capability

Abstract

In this work, CoFe2O4 spinel phase nanoparticles (CFO-NPs) with an average diameter of 80 nm were synthesized through facile urea combustion method, which can be extended for the large scale fabrication of nanoparticles. The obtained product is characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, Brunauer Emmett and Teller (BET) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). When CFO-NPs are used as an anode material for Li-ion battery, it show excellent electrochemical performance due to its typical nano-sized particles, which results excellent diffusion of electrolyte ions and ensured the fast electron transportation. As a result, CFO-NPs show excellent initial charge and discharge capacities of 1506 and 1524 mA h g−1, respectively. After fifty cycles, the discharge capacity still remains at 896 mA h g−1 at a current density of 100 mA g−1, and excellent rate capability. Given their excellent electrochemical performance, the CFO-NPs considered as a promising anode material for Li-ion batteries.