Electrochemical properties of Fe2O3-Nano-Loaded Carbon and Fe2O3-Nano/Carbon Mixed Composites for Iron-Air Battery Anodes

Abstract

In order to find the adequate material for Fe/air battery anode，two kinds of materials，Fe_2O_3-nano-loaded carbon and Fe_2O_3-nano mixed carbon material using various carbon materials, were prepared．The Fe_2O_3-nano-loaded carbon material was prepared by loading Fe_2O_3 on carbon using a chemical method．Fe(NO3)3 was impregnated on carbon with different weight ratios of iron to carbon in an aqueous solution，and the mixture was dried and then calcined for 1 h at 400℃ in flowing Ar．For the Fe_2O_3-nano mixed carbon material, Fe_2O_3-nano powder was mixed with carbon by mechanical method. The effect of various carbons on the physical and electrochemical properties of both Fe_2O_3-nano-loaded carbon and Fe_2O_3-nano mixed carbon electrodes was investigated and compared using X-ray diffraction(XRD), transmission electron microscopy(TEM), scanning electron microscopy(SEM) along with X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy(EDS), cyclic voltammetry(CV) and galvanostatic cycling performance．Transmission electron microscopy(TEM) coupled with X-ray diffraction measurements revealed that Fe_2O_3-nanoparticles were distributed on the carbon surface for Fe_2O_3-nano-loaded carbon．This distribution is similar to that for Fe_2O_3-nano mixed carbon electrodes observed by SEM and EDS．The CV results indicated that the redox currents of the Fe_2O_3-nano-loaded carbon are larger than that of correspondence Fe_2O_3-nano mixed carbon．Such properties are expected to provide the larger capacity for Fe_2O_3-nano-loaded carbon electrode than Fe_2O_3-nano mixed carbon electrode.