Monodisperse CoFe2O4 nanoparticles supported on Vulcan XC-72: High performance electrode materials for lithium-air and lithium-ion batteries

Addressed herein is the preparation and the electrode performance of monodisperse CoFe2O4 nanoparticles (NPs) supported on Vulcan XC-72 for the Lithium-air battery (LAB) and Lithium-ion battery (LIB). Monodisperse CoFe2O4 NPs were synthesized by the thermal decomposition of cobalt(II) acetylacetonate and iron(III) acetylacetonate in oleylamine and oleic acid in the presence of 1,2-tetradecanediol and benzyl ether. As-prepared CoFe2O4 NPs with a particle size of 11 nm were then supported on Vulcan XC-72 (Vulcan-CoFe2O4) at different theoretical loadings (20, 40 and 60 wt % CoFe2O4 NPs) by using the simple liquid phase self assembly method. CoFe2O4 NPs dispersed on Vulcan-CoFe2O4 composites were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The MS analyses indicated that the Vulcan-CoFe2O4 composites with different loadings were included 3.7, 8.1 and 16.4 wt % CoFe2O4 on the metal basis. The electrode performance of Vulcan-CoFe2O4 composites were evaluated as the anode active material for LIB and cathode active material for LABs by performing the galvanostatic charge-discharge tests. The highest discharge capacity for both LAB (7510 mAh g((Vulcan+CoFe2O4))(-1); 13380 mAh g(CoFe2O4)(-1) @ 0.1C) and LIB (863 mAh g((Vulcan+CoFe2O4))(-1); 9330 mAh g(CoFe2O4)(-1)@ 0.1C) was investigated with 16.4 wt % CoFe2O4. (c) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.