Red mud-based lithium-ion battery anode material with high electrochemical performance prepared by acid and SDS-assisted hydrothermal method

In this work, we propose a method to prepare anode materials for LIBs from alumina industrial waste red mud. The dispersed red mud with a sand-like morphology was obtained by an aicd pretreatment combined a SDS assist hydrothermal method. The as-prepared dispersed red mud electrode delivered a high discharge/charge capacity (1668.1 mAh g(-1) at 0.1 A g(-1) after 200 cycles) and an excellent long-cycle performance (460 mAh g(-1) at 2.0 A g(-1) after 360 cycles). The outstanding electrochemical performance of the dispersed red mud electrode can be attributed to the addition of SDS, which inhibits the agglomeration of iron oxide, reduces the volume change caused by the lithium intercalation/deintercalation process, and reduces the irreversible capacity. The SiO2 and Al2O3 scattered in the red mud also play a synergistic effect, alleviating the volume expansion during charging and discharging, and improving the cycle stability of the dispersed red mud. The application of red mud in anode materials for LIBs may provide an idea for the recycling of waste resources, reducing energy shortages and easing environmental pollution.