Preparation of yolk-shell FeO@N-doped carbon nanocomposite particles as anode in lithium ion batteries.

The yolk-shell-structured FeO nanocomposite particles (FeO@Void@C -N NPs) with FeO as the yolk and N -doped carbon as the shell were prepared by using melamine formaldehyde resin as the N and C sources. When used as anode material for lithium ion battery, the yolk-shell structure could not only afford adequate void to accommodate the large volume change during charge/discharge process but also improve structural stability and electrical conductivity. The anode material demonstrated superior long-term and high-rate performance because of the novel structure and the N-doped carbon shell with mesopore. Thus, FeO@Void@C-N NPs exhibited a high reversible capacity of 1530 mAh g after 300 cycles at a current density of 500 mA g, which were approximately 1.5 and 6 times higher than FeO@C-N NPs and pure FeO particles, respectively. Even at the higher current density of 2000 mA g, the reversible capacity remained at 651 mAh g after 500 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]