An efficient route to a hierarchical CoFe₂O₄@graphene hybrid films with superior cycling stability and rate capability for lithium storage

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The hierarchical CFO@GN hybrid films were synthesized by a facile one-step EPD and the subsequent thermal annealing. • The CFO@GN electrode exhibits a stable reversible capacity of -860 mAh g^-1 after 200 cycles at high current densities of 1000 mA g^-1. • The layered structure of graphene, with CFO NPs as the spacers, facilitates fast ions and electron transportation. - Abstract: A facile, rapid, and scalable method is developed for the fabrication of hierarchical CoFe₂O₄@graphene (CFO@GN) hybrid films on conductive substrates as a promising binder-free lithium-ion batteries anode. The obtained films show network morphologies, and almost all of the CFO nanoparticles are also homogeneously embedded into the layered graphene network. The resulting binder-free CFO@GN electrode with 35.85 wt.% graphene exhibits excellent lithium storage performance with a high specific reversible capacity of 866.67 mAh g^-1 at a high current densities of 1000 mA g^-1, and high rate capability. In addition, the reversible capacity can retain as high as 860 mAh g^-1 and has no obvious decay after 200 cycles. This work supplies a versatile strategy for fabrication of other metal oxide@graphene hybrid films as an efficient way to improve the lithium storage performance