Gram-scale synthesis of rGO wrapped porous α-Fe₂O₃ as an advanced anode material for Na-ion batteries with superior cyclic stability

Synthesis of various earth-abundant electroactive materials in gram-scale via simple methods with excellent efficiency can effectively reduce the cost. In this context, we have demonstrated a gram-scale synthesis of α-Fe₂O₃@rGO core@shell nanocubes via a direct solution route. By the concept of charge-charge interactions, we have successfully wrapped the reduced graphene oxide (rGO) over the surface of α-Fe₂O₃ nanocubes resulting in the formation of α-Fe₂O₃@rGO core@shell nanocubes in a gram-scale. The synthesized α-Fe₂O₃@rGO core@shell nanocubes were characterized by a group of analytical methods and finally explored as an effective anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). The α-Fe₂O₃@rGO-10 wt% core@shell nanocubes sample displays an exceptional specific capacity of 970.2 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.1 C-rate with a better rate capability of 77.8 mAh g⁻¹ at 5.0 C-rate. Moreover, the α-Fe₂O₃@rGO-10 wt% sample also demonstrates a better specific capacity of about 586.9 mAh g⁻¹ after 100 cycles at 0.1 C-rate. The current approach can enable the synthesis of various electroactive materials on a gram-scale using a cost-effective strategy with better electrochemical performance for practical energy storage devices.