Solvothermal route based in situ carbonization to Fe₃O₄@C as anode material for lithium ion battery

A high pressure and temperature based solvothermal route was developed for the synthesis of Fe₃O₄ with carbon as a composite anode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The carbon in products was a result of the in situ carbonization of organic components under high pressure (24.0MPa) and temperature (350°C). Composites with different amounts of carbon were prepared by annealing the solvothermal products at different temperatures. Taking advantage of the high theoretical capacity of Fe₃O₄ and favorable characteristics of carbon, a capacity of ~610mAhg^-1 after 100 cycles was achieved for the composite with ~54.6% carbon. The carbon amount depended electrochemical performance was also investigated. The Fe₃O₄@C composite can be used as an alternative anode material and the introduced synthetic strategy may provide further insights into the preparation of inorganic oxides coupled with carbon via in situ carbonization of organic components.