A facile synthesis of carbon-encapsulated ZnFe_2O_4 nanocrystals as anode for lithium-ion batteries

摘要

An explosive reaction between zinc nitrate hexahydrate and ferrocene taking place below 200 degrees C is discovered, which is employed for the one-step preparation of carbon-encapsulated ZnFe2O4 nanocrystals (ZnFe2O4@C) with core-shell structure in an autoclave. The small-sized equiaxed ZnFe2O4 nanocrystals have a median diameter of 22.1 nm. The uniform carbon shell of about 5 nm in thickness is amorphous, and its content is 32.6 wt.% in the nanocomposite. After 50 cycles, the ZnFe2O4@C anode still maintains a high specific capacity of 551 mAh g(-1) at a current density of 50 mA g(-1). The efficient, energy-saving and environment-friendly method will be very attractive for preparing different kinds of carbon-encapsulated nanocrystals.