High-Capacity Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries with a Core–Shell NiFe2O4/Reduced Graphene Oxide Heterostructure

Abstract

A novel composite consisting of transition-metal oxide and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has been designed as a highly promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The anode material for LIBs exhibits high-rate capability, outstanding stability, and nontoxicity. The structural characterization techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, Raman spectra, and transmission electron microscopy, indicate that the material adopts a unique core–shell structure with NiFe2O4 nanoparticles situated in the center and an rGO layer coated on the surface of NiFe2O4 particles (denoted as NiFe2O4/rGO). The NiFe2O4/rGO material with a core–shell structure exhibits an excellent electrochemical performance, which shows a capacity of 1183 mA h g–1 in the first cycle and maintains an average capacity of ∼1150 mA h g–1 after 900 cycles at a current density of 500 mA g–1. This work provides a broad field of vision for the application of transition-metal-oxide materials in electrodes of lithium-ion batteries, which is of great significance for further development of lithium-ion batteries with excellent performance.