Foamed porous structure Fe-Mn oxides/C composites as novel anode materials of lithium-ion batteries

Fe-Mn oxides/C composites with foamed porous structure have been synthesized successfully by a green and efficient method and employed as novel anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. The regulation of structure and composition can be realized simultaneously after calcination. The addition of gelatin as a carbon source effectively avoids the overgrowth and agglomeration of active particles, which leads to the formation of a porous carbon matrix and Fe-Mn oxide nanoparticles. In the composites, Fe-Mn oxide nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed and embedded in the carbon matrix, which can both accelerate the transmission of Li+ ions and electrons, and also effectively alleviate volume expansion/contraction of the active particles during cycling. Meanwhile, the hierarchical pore structure of carbon matrix is beneficial to the penetration of electrolyte. The prepared material with appropriate carbon content shows high specific capacity, excellent cycling stability and good rate capability. After 150 cycles at 0.2 C, the reversible capacity can still reach 1237.5 mAh g−1. This novel composite material with unique structure provides a new choice for anode materials of high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries.