High Capacity Electrospun MgFe2O4-C Composite Nanofibers as an Anode Material for Lithium Ion Batteries

MgFe2O4-C composite nanofibers were prepared via electrospinning technique followed by carbonization at 600 degrees C. Thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) results showed ignition, decomposition and carbonization temperatures of the as-grown fibers. Formation of the nanocrystalline phase of the MgFe2O4 over the amorphous phase of the carbon fibers sample was confirmed from the analysis of the measured XRD results. FE-SEM images of the as-spun and calcined fibers sample showed that the formation of one dimensional (1-D) MgFe2O4-C composite nanofibers and the formed 1-D nanofibers were well interconnected with high porous structured morphology. The electrochemical properties of the MgFe2O4-C composite nanofibers sample were tested as an anode material for lithium-ion battery. Lithium-ion battery made up of the newly developed MgFe2O4-C composite nanofibers sample, used as an anode material, showed discharge capacity of 575 mAh g(-1) at a current density of 100mA g(-1) after 20(th) cycles. Further, the discharge capacity of the lithium-ion battery also measured at a high current density of 1A g(-1) and it was found to be 433 mAh g(-1) even after 85 cycles. Also, the lithium-ion battery showed exceptional reversible capacity with the coulombic efficiency of 99.6% even after 85 cycles at a high current density of 1A g(-1). Hence the electrochemical properties suggest that the newly developed MgFe2O4-C composite nanofibers can be used as high capacity anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.