Synthesis of mesoporous r-Fe2O3 nanostructures for highly sensitive gas sensors and high capacity anode materials in lithium ion batteries

Authors

Bing Sun, University of Technology SydneyFollow
Josip Horvat, University of WollongongFollow
Hyun-Soo Kim, Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute, Changwon
Woo-Seong Kim, Daejung Energy Materials Co., Ltd, Namdong-gu, Incheon
Jung-Ho Ahn, Andong National UniVersity, Gyungbuk , Korea
Guoxiu Wang, UniVersity of Technology Sydney

RIS ID

34178

Publication Details

Wang, G., Ahn, P., Kim, W., Kim, H., Horvat, J. & Sun, B. (2010). Synthesis of mesoporous r-Fe2O3 nanostructures for highly sensitive gas sensors and high capacity anode materials in lithium ion batteries. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 114 (44), 18753-18761.

Abstract

Mesoporous α-Fe₂O₃ materials were prepared in large quantity by the soft template synthesis method using the triblock copolymer surfactant F127 as the template. Nitrogen adsorption−desorption isothermal measurements and transmission electron microscope observation revealed that the as-prepared mesoporous α-Fe₂O₃ nanostructures have large mesopores in a wide size range of 5−30 nm. It has been found that the Morin transition depends on thermal history of mesoporous α-Fe₂O₃, which is driven by surface anisotropy. Superparamagnetic behavior of mesoporous α-Fe₂O₃ is also associated with surface spins with blocking temperature around 50 K. When applied as gas sensors, mesoporous α-Fe₂O₃ nanostructures exhibited high gas sensitivity toward acetic acid and ethanol gas. As anodes in lithium ion cells, mesoporous α-Fe₂O₃ materials show a high specific capacity of 1360 mAh/g with excellent cycling stability and high rate capacity.