Synthesis of hierarchical binary core branch nanocomposite of carbon microspheres@α-Fe₂O₃ for enhancing electrochemical behavior

Abstract

A facial strategy for the synthesis of hierarchical binary core branch carbon microspheres (CMS)@α-Fe₂O₃, is presented. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HR-TEM), and Brunauer-Emmett Teller (BET) were used to characterize the structural and morphological properties of the products. XRD diffraction analysis of CMS@α-Fe₂O₃, reveals the highly crystalline nature of α-Fe₂O₃, in the hierarchical binary core-branch CMS@α-Fe₂O₃, nanocomposite. Morphological analyses show that the α-Fe₂O₃; shell layer grew onto the surface of CMS to form nanoscale heterointerfaces in the core-branch structure, demonstrating the effectiveness of the synthesized route. More importantly, CMS@α-Fe₂O₃, demonstrated superior electrochemical behavior to CMS. The enhanced CMS@α-Fe₂O₃, electrochemical performance can be attributed to its large specific surface area, which allows for the rapid transfer of electrons into the electrode during the redox process.