One Step Hydrothermal Synthesis of FeCO₃ Cubes for High Performance Lithium-ion Battery Anodes

Highlights: • FeCO₃ nanocubes with edge length of ∼300 nm were prepared. • A reversible capacity of 761 mAh g⁻¹ was achieved at 200 mA g⁻¹ after 130 cycles. • Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance were employed to understand the cell performances. - Abstract: Uniform FeCO₃ cubes with edge length of ∼300 nm were prepared by a facile one-step hydrothermal reaction and studied as anode material for lithium-ion batteries. Interestingly, the FeCO₃ anode has an extremely high initial specific capacity of 1796 mAh g⁻¹. After cycling at a current rate of 200 mA g⁻¹ for 130 cycles, an excellent discharge capacity of 761 mAh g⁻¹ is still maintained. Moreover, the FeCO₃ anode exhibits significant high-rate capability, e.g., ∼430 mAh g⁻¹ is obtained at a current rate of 1200 mA g⁻¹. The observation of the FeCO₃ cubes represents an important development of realizing both high capacity and good cycleability in conversion type anode materials for lithium-ion battery at the same time. Such cheap, easy-to-make, and environmentally benign material is promising for practical deployment for lithium ion batteries anode.