Graphene-incorporated Dopamine-Modified Fe2O3 Nanorings as Anode for High-performance Lithium Battery

Novel facile two-dimensional graphene-incorporated composites of dopamine-modified Fe2O3 (Fe2O3@PDA@G) nanorings were rationally fabricated and designed with electrostatic interactions to provide highly specific surface areas. The contact area of the electrolyte/electrode was increased to reduce the current density per unit surface area during the electrode reaction. Compared to bare Fe2O3, Fe2O3@PDA@G exhibited higher capacities and improved rate capability in the potential range of 0.01 similar to 3.0V. The Fe2O3@PDA@G composites showed a specific capacity of 727.4 mAhg(-1) at 500 mAg- 1 after 240 cycles, while bare Fe(2)O(3)only delivered a discharge capacity of 97.2 mAhg(-1). In addition, Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) measurements showed that Fe2O3@PDA@G had a lower localized work function than that of the pristine one, which enabled Fe2O3@PDA@G to be more suitable for lithium-ion battery applications.