A facile solution combustion synthesis of nanosized amorphous iron oxide incorporated in a carbon matrix for use as a high-performance lithium ion battery anode material

Highlights: • Iron oxide–carbon composite was fabricated by facile solution combustion synthesis. • Iron oxide nanoparticles of about 5 nm were uniformly embedded in dense carbon matrix. • The composite exhibited enhanced cyclability and rate capability. • A high capacity of 687 mA h g⁻¹ after 200 cycles at a current rate of 0.5 A g⁻¹ were obtained. - Abstract: An amorphous iron oxide–carbon composite has been fabricated through an effective, inexpensive, and scalable method employing solution combustion synthesis. Amorphous iron oxide nanoparticles with diameters of about 5 nm were synthesized and uniformly embedded in a dense carbon matrix. The synthesized composite exhibits enhanced cyclability and rate capability, showing a high reversible capacity of 687 mA h g⁻¹ after 200 discharge/charge cycles at a current rate of 0.5 A g⁻¹, compared to the 400 mA h g⁻¹ observed for Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles. This enhanced performance was retained despite more demanding conditions, delivering a high capacity of about 525 mA h g⁻¹ and a nearly perfect coulombic efficiency even after 400 cycles at 1 A g⁻¹. The easy production and superior electrochemical properties of this composite suggest that it is a promising material for use as an anode material in high performance lithium ion batteries