High lithium electroactivity of electrospun CuFe2O4 nanofibers as anode material for lithium-ion batteries

In this study, copper ferrite (CuFe2O4) nanofibers were successfully fabricated by a combination of electrospinning and calcination process. The crystal structure was investigated by X-ray diffractomentry, and the results show only peaks of CuFe2O4 could be observed from the product obtained at 800 degrees C, indicating the formation of pure compound. SEM and TEM images showed the as-spun CuFe2O4 nanofibers possessed good continuous fiber morphology with an average diameter of about 66 nm. The electrochemical properties of electrospun CuFe2O4 nanofibers as anode material for lithium-ion batteries were discussed for the first time. The results demonstrated that the electrospun CuFe2O4 nanofibers anode exhibited a high initial discharge capacity of 1226.0 mAh g(-1), and maintained a stable capacity of 572.4 mAh g(-1) after 50 cycles. Meanwhile, the electrodes showed high capacity at higher discharge and charge rate. The excellent electrochemical properties of electrospun CuFe2O4 nanofibers anode were attributed to the high crystallinity, as well as the unique mesoporous and fibrous structures. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.