Construction of a continuous conductance network with high electron-transfer rate is extremely important for high-performance energy storage. Owing to the highly efficient mass transport and information transmission, neurons are exactly a perfect model for electron transport, inspiring us to design a neuron-like reaction network for high-performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with Fe3O4 as an example. The reactive cores (Fe3O4) are protected by carbon shells and linked by carbon filaments, constituting an integrated conductance network. Thus, once the reaction starts, the electrons released from every Fe3O4 cores are capable of being transferred rapidly through the whole network directly to the external circuit, endowing the nanocomposite with tremendous rate performance and ultralong cycle life. After 1000 cycles at current densities as high as 1 and 2 A g-1, charge capacities of the as-synthesized nanocomposite maintain 971 and 715 mA h g-1, respectively, much higher than those of reported Fe3O4-based anode materials. The Fe3O4-based conductive network provides a new idea for future developments of high-rate-performance LIBs.
Keywords: Fe3O4; bio-inspired anodes; carbon filaments; conductive network; lithium-ion batteries.