Thermal evaporation-induced anhydrous synthesis of Fe₃O ₄-graphene composite with enhanced rate performance and cyclic stability for lithium ion batteries

We present a high-yield and low cost thermal evaporation-induced anhydrous strategy to prepare hybrid materials of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles and graphene as an advanced anode for high-performance lithium ion batteries. The ∼10-20 nm Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles are densely anchored on conducting graphene sheets and act as spacers to keep the adjacent sheets separated. The Fe₃O₄-graphene composite displays a superior battery performance with high retained capacity of 868 mA h g^-1 up to 100 cycles at a current density of 200 mA g^-1, and 539 mA h g^-1 up to 200 cycles when cycling at 1000 mA g ^-1, high Coulombic efficiency (above 99% after 200 cycles), good rate capability, and excellent cyclic stability. The simple approach offers a promising route to prepare anode materials for practical fabrication of lithium ion batteries.